Kompany demands total commitment as Bayern prepare for “do or die” PSG second leg

Vincent Kompany has delivered a stark message to his Bayern Munich squad, insisting they must be ready to “have to die on the pitch” as they attempt to overturn a narrow deficit against Paris Saint-Germain in a blockbuster Champions League semi-final second leg.

The German champions head into the return fixture at the Allianz Arena trailing after a breathtaking first leg in Paris that produced nine goals and relentless attacking football.

PSG emerged 5-4 winners in a contest already being described as one of the most extraordinary in modern European competition, with both sides showcasing elite finishing and defensive fragility in equal measure.

The spectacle in the French capital also entered the record books, becoming the joint-highest scoring semi-final in European Cup history, matching the famous 6-3 encounter between Rangers and Eintracht Frankfurt in 1960.

With both teams already surpassing 40 goals in this season’s competition, the tie has taken on the feel of a shootout rather than a traditional knockout battle.

Kompany (of DR Congolese descent), who watched the first leg from the stands after accumulating three yellow cards, acknowledged both the frustration of his absence from the touchline and the resilience of his players under pressure.

“If it never happens again (having to watch from the stands), I’ll be satisfied. I can’t take decisions 80 meters away. But I appreciated the way the players responded, from high up in the stands.

“The atmosphere next week at Allianz Arena will be crazy. We know we have to win. We’ll give absolutely everything, really everything we have even if we have to die on the pitch. We believe,” Kompany stated.

“There was such fire against Madrid. We need no less than that, we need even more, and that’s all I can ask for. I’d go to the stadium for a game like that, but not to be quiet.”