Bayern looks to reclaim top spot from Bochum trip
Vincent Kompany is hoping Bayern Munich will take the lessons learned from defeat to Barcelona into its return to Bundesliga action against Bochum on Monday (AEDT).
Despite Harry Kane cancelling out Raphinha's opener, the German outfit was swept aside at Camp Nou, losing 4-1 to leave it 23rd in the new league standings.
The defeat saw Barcelona become the first team since Real Madrid in April 2014 to score three first half goals in a UEFA Champions League game against Bayern.
Raphinha also became the fourth player to net a UEFA Champions League hat-trick against Bayern, after Roy Makaay, Sergio Aguero and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Bayern has, however, fared better in the Bundesliga. It remains unbeaten after seven league games, but lost top spot to RB Leipzig after it beat Freiburg 3-1 on Sunday (AEDT).
Kompany's side can retake top spot with victory on goal difference, and the Belgian coach believes the midweel defeat should not see his players lose sight of their aspirations they aim to reclaim the Bundesliga crown from a stuttering Bayer Leverkusen.
"We conceded four goals. But I would not just talk about that [defence]. It's too easy. The responsibility lies with the entire team," Kompany said.
"We have the quality and players. I understand we lost and we have to accept the criticism.
"But I do not want to lose sight of what the boys can achieve if they take the next steps.
"The basis is that the team works and that it learns from such moments.
"We are not surprised that not all was perfect. It is normal. After all we did not win a title last season.
"There are games where it is clear what happened. But that was a game with a lot of moments and not everything went wrong," Kompany continued.
"There were also good moments which we did not use or were not too concentrated."
Bayern has reason to be confident of recovering from its humbling defeat to Barcelona.
It travels to Vonovia Ruhrstadion in impressive form on the road, scoring 17 goals in its first four Bundesliga away games this season, which is a league record.
Kompany's side has also found the back of the net at least three times in each of its past four top-flight games on its travels and would equal another league record should it do so again this weekend – set by Bayern in 2019-2020 under now Barcelona coach Hansi Flick).
But Bayern has struggled to keep goals out at the other end.
It has kept just one clean sheet in its past 15 Bundesliga away games, with only Bochum (31) conceding more goals on the road in 2024 than the Bavarian side (29).
