Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany has blamed the club’s injury crisis for their UCL elimination at the hands of Inter Milan.
The Bavarians drew 2-2 in the second leg at the San Siro on Wednesday night but were condemned to a quarterfinal exit after losing the tie 4-3 on aggregate, courtesy of a 2-1 home defeat in the first leg last week.
England captain Harry Kane gave the German side hope when they took the lead early in the second half, before the Nerazzurri hit back with two goals in the space of three minutes.
Lautaro Martinez scored his second goal of the tie after also scoring in the first leg, before former Bayern defender Benjamin Pavard put the hosts ahead with a superb header from a Hakan Calhanoglu corner.
“I think the big issue, before Inter, was injuries,” Kompany told reporters.
“We had to understand what we could do without [Hiroki] Ito, [Dayot] Upamecano, [Jamal] Musiala, [Manuel] Neuer, [Alphonso] Davies, [Kingsley] Coman, [Aleksandar] Pavlovic.
Unfortunately, I don’t decide. In addition to the many games, there are long journeys and the pressure increases when we have absences,”
Bayern Munich drew level in the 76th minute when Eric Dier rose highest to nod in a cross from German star Serge Gnabry, before they missed several chances to go ahead on the night.
The Bundesliga side who blew away Bayer Leverkusen in the previous round were missing several of their stars due to injury, and will play no further part in this season’s competition.
“I think in the first game we showed a good Bayern Munich, I’m not talking about the result. In the second game we also showed a positive attitude in Milan,” Kompany continued.
“We had many scoring chances, more than Inter. I have mixed feelings. The harsh reality is that we will not play the Champions League final at home.
We can’t change that. The other aspect is the performance, we know we have done enough to win these games.”
Vincent Kompany’s side will turn their attention to the Bundesliga where they currently hold a six point lead over second-placed Leverkusen with a game against Heidenheim on Saturday, while Inter Milan advance to the semifinals of the Champions League where they will battle against Spanish giants Barcelona.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
