Bayern Munich legend hails Vincent Kompany for team's good showing | OneFootball

Philipp Lahm’s assessment of Bayern Munich under Vincent Kompany has been reasonably positive. The former captain of the Rekordmeister weighed in on Bayern’s season so far in an exclusive interview with Kicker.

Philipp Lahm played 517 matches over 13 seasons in Bayern colours, amassing an impressive tally of 21 silverwares, which includes 8 league titles and 1 Champions League. The versatile right-back captained Bayern from the 2010–11 season until his retirement in 2017.

The world cup winning captain praises Vincent Kompany for providing clarity when it comes to personnel selection. He believes that the players, as compared to last season, are more certain of their positions and roles, which in turns boosts their confidence.

In the previous campaign, the two starting center-backs rotated between Dayot Upamecano, Kim Min-jae, Matthijs de Ligt, and later also Eric Dier, after he joined the club in January. This instability was caused either by injury issues or Thomas Tuchel’s ever-changing preferences. The same could be said for Joshua Kimmich, who was moved from his preferred midfield position to play at right-back for the second half of the season.

This season, however, there has been a significant change as Vincent Kompany has been unequivocal about how he plans to use his players. Kimmich has returned to midfield duties, while Upamecano and Kim Min-jae have been trusted as the starting centre-back duo. The likes of Aleksandar Pavlović and Joao Palhinha have surpassed Leon Goretzka in the midfield pecking order.

Lahm rounded off his assessment by stating Bayern remain a work in progress under Kompany. Bayern have indeed not been pitch-perfect this season. A major vulnerability, as showcased in games against FC Barcelona and Eintracht Frankfurt, was their susceptibility to fast counterattacks. Despite scoring a truckload of goals so far, Die Roten have been struggling to finish their chances, which was particularly evident during Harry Kane’s injury spell. Vincent Kompany and his team have made necessary tactical adjustments as the season has progressed, so there is a good chance for further improvement in the coming year.

Lahm backs Bayern to win the Meisterschale

Philipp Lahm has predicted Bayern to win the Bundesliga this season and regain their status as Germany’s best. Lahm compliments Leverkusen and their style of play but believes they are still inferior to Bayern’s squad.

The former right-back isn’t too fussed by the fact that his club has dropped a few points and allowed Leverkusen to come closer, as he states “There’ll be a bit more excitement again”.

Bayern Munich are back in action after the winter break on January 11 when they take on Borussia Mönchengladbach at the Borussia Park.