Bayern motivated to bounce back against Dortmund
Vincent Kompany says Bayern Munich is not short of motivation going into this weekend's Der Klassiker as it is desperate to bounce back from its UEFA Champions League loss in midweek.
Bayern hosts Borussia Dortmund on Sunday (AEST) with the hopes of closing in on the Bundesliga title, with only six games remaining.
Kompany's side suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg, its first loss on home soil in the competition since April 2021 against Paris Saint-Germain.
However, Kompany has urged his team to show an instant reaction to its fourth European loss of the season, and give itself a shot of confidence before next week's return leg at San Siro.
"It [defeat to Inter] does not feel like a defeat because our will and belief is so big for the return leg," Kompany said.
"We want to show a reaction. There is Klassiker and the history between the two clubs.
"So we are not lacking in motivation or energy going into the game. I also like that these matches against Dortmund have this extra spice."
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Bayern currently sits top of the Bundesliga on 68 points, six points clear of defending champion Bayer Leverkusen in second place, and any slip-up could potentially prove costly.
Dortmund, which lost 4-0 to Barcelona in its own quarter-final first leg, is eighth on 41 points and at risk of missing out on UEFA Champions League football next season.
Bayern has suffered more defeats to Dortmund than any other side – 33, most recently 2-0 at home in March 2024 – and is currently winless in consecutive matches against Dortmund for the first time since 2017.
"We are in a phase of the season where everything is important. Every minute, every moment," Kompany said. "So, everything is a priority."
The Belgian, in his first season in charge, is missing half a dozen key players because of injury, including playmaker Jamal Musiala and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
He said the absences would have no impact on the desire of his players to bounce back.
"We always want to win, but it is still too early to define it as a really negative result [against Inter]," Kompany said.
"In the end, it is about winners and losers, but our belief is there in our squad despite the absences, and that spills over to the Dortmund game."
