Kompany congratulates Danks after Bayern Munich maintain Bundesliga lead

Aaron Danks said Vincent Kompany sent him an immediate message of congratulations after Bayern Munich’s 3-1 victory at Freiburg on Sunday.

Kompany remains in hospital after collapsing following a training session on Friday, meaning assistant coach Danks took charge of the Bundesliga leaders for their away match.

Bayern made a strong start as Dayot Upamecano and Serge Gnabry scored to put them two goals ahead by half-time. Freiburg were handed a route back into the game when Tom Bischof scored an own goal, and the hosts applied sustained pressure late on.

Michael Olise eventually settled Bayern’s nerves by scoring in stoppage time, securing three valuable points and ensuring they retained their place at the top of the Bundesliga.

Danks revealed after the match that Kompany contacted him on WhatsApp shortly after the final whistle.

“I just opened my phone to a WhatsApp from Vince straight away saying ‘well done’, and he was happy,” Danks told DAZN.

“So I just replied saying, ‘Brilliant, now rest,’ and sent him a kissing emoji. So hopefully he rests up.”

The result ended a demanding week for Bayern, and Danks praised the players for dealing with the pressure of facing a Freiburg side he believes is in excellent form.

“Really pleased with the performance,” he said. “We always knew it was going to be such a difficult place to come. They’re a top team; they’re in really good form.”

#### Bayern withstand Freiburg pressure

Danks also highlighted the character Bayern showed after Freiburg began to threaten an equaliser during the closing stages.

The home supporters helped drive Freiburg forward, but Bayern resisted that pressure before Olise’s late goal confirmed the victory.

“They showed character,” Danks said, as Bayern protected their lead in a difficult atmosphere and completed the job on the road.

Bayern’s next fixture is a DFB-Pokal meeting with Magdeburg. They will then face Borussia Dortmund on Saturday in a significant Bundesliga encounter, with victory offering them the chance to strengthen their position at the summit.