Vincent Kompany’s limitations exposed as Barcelona dismantle Bayern | OneFootball

Barcelona obliated Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich on Wednesday night with a scintillating 4-1 triumph at the Estadi Lluis Companys.

Former Leeds United winger Raphinha grabbed the front pages after bagging his first Champions League hat-trick to inspire Los Blaugranas to their first victory against the Bavarian powerhouse since 2015.

In doing so, Barcelona prevented the record-time Bundesliga champions from making history in Catalunya, halting a dreadful run of six consecutive defeats against the Allianz Arena outfit.

Had they won last night, Bayern would’ve become the first team since Real Madrid in the mid-1960s to beat the Camp Nou side in seven consecutive meetings.

Instead, they lost their third successive Champions League fixture on the road for the first time in club history and the second in a row under Kompany’s stewardship this season.

Formerly linked with several high-profile jobs in the Premier League, Kompany took charge of Bayern in the summer, replacing Thomas Tuchel at the helm.

Unwanted History

In addition to setting the club’s negative away record in European football, the ex-Manchester City captain ended Bayern’s rich tradition in the Champions League main draw.

Following a disheartening loss at Aston Villa last time out, the Bavarians have suffered two straight defeats in the group/league phase after going unbeaten in 41 consecutive such games.

Savaged by the German press after the game, Kompany shoulders much of the blame for his team’s epic fall from grace at Europe’s top table, with the pressure starting to mount on the former Burnley boss.

Numerous prestigious domestic news outlets took no prisoners this morning as they dished out brutal verdicts to Kompany and his out-of-sorts squad.

It’s no less than they deserved after letting Hansi Flick’s high-flying side shred them into pieces in what was billed as the most evenly-poised match-up ahead of round three.

Brought Back Down to Earth

It feels like Kompany let a record-breaking 9-2 triumph against sub-par Dinamo Zagreb on his Champions League touchline debut get him carried away.

Sitting atop the Bundesliga standings after a seven-game unbeaten start may have also helped tuck the 38-year-old into a false sense of security when, in reality, his tactics brimmed with flaws.

Whether he overestimated his managerial prowess or refused to give Flick enough credit, Kompany was the architect of his downfall in the Iberian Peninsula last night.

It wasn’t just the scoreline that caused unrest among club supporters and German media alike but the manner in which Barcelona swept Bayern aside in one of the most dominant performances in 2024/25.

Everything Was Wrong

Flick exposed all the gaps in Kompany’s questionable tactical set-up, making Bayern look uncharacteristically fragile.

The former defender couldn’t leave the Etihad Stadium with no strings attached after his three-year stint under the tactical genius of Pep Guardiola.

His overwhelming desire to follow in the footsteps of his ex-manager is understandable, but it seemingly led him to prioritise style over substance, resulting in a painful outcome.

In his eagerness to emulate Guardiola’s famous ‘tiki-taka,’ Kompany perhaps neglected to adapt his strategies to the strengths and weaknesses of his squad.

To put it in context, Bayern boasted 60% possession but generated fewer shots and lower xG than Barcelona while often allowing their opposition to come near Manuel Neuer’s goals in a matter of seconds.

Lack of Balance

Last night’s performance was a spitting image of Barcelona’s torrid time down the final stretch of Lionel Messi’s career at Camp Nou.

However, the roles were reversed, with Bayern doing nothing meaningless from large spells of possession while being vulnerable on the break.

Kompany failed to explain to Harry Kane that he’s a center-forward rather than a deep-lying playmaker, a role he assumed for most of the game, barring the opening 15 minutes.

With Kane frequently dropping back to help in the build-up, Bayern often found themselves lacking numbers in the box, making it impossible to penetrate Barca’s low block.

On top of that, Kompany chose veteran Thomas Muller over prodigious Jamal Musiala despite being aware of the pace of this young Barcelona team.

That was a rookie mistake, the Catalans turned to their advantage, as they managed to cut Kane from the rest of the pack by neutralising his closest supporter.

Clueless In-Game Management

Nothing went Bayern’s way in the first half. They entered the half-time interval 3-1 down, yet Kompany refused to introduce his heavy hitters from the bench.

He only decided to sub Kingsley Coman and Musiala on after falling 4-1 down, making a quadruple change on the hour mark in a desperate attempt to claw his way back into the game.

But it’s not Sunday league football. It’s the Champions League, where every decision counts and hesitation can be costly.

Kompany’s delayed substitutions allowed Barcelona to maintain momentum and inflict damage beyond repair by the time the substitutes came on.