Bayern Munich crashed out of the UEFA Champions League at the quarterfinal stage after battling out a 2-2 second-leg draw against Inter Milan at the San Siro.
The Bavarians lost 2-1 at home, and needed a two-goal victory to progress to the semifinals, but they faltered on the road in Milan, as a leaky defence was exposed by the on-fire Lautaro Martinez.
However, Vincent Kompany and his players have little choice but to rally themselves, as the Belgian coach chases down the Bundesliga title in the final weeks of the 2024/25 campaign and this summer's FIFA Club World Cup.
The German giants have lofty standards each season, and a UCL quarterfinal exit will cause frustration at the Allianz Arena, despite the remaining confidence in what Kompany is trying to build.
Veteran midfielder Joshua Kimmich has backed up that theory, by sharing an insight on the dressing room after defeat in Milan, despite the irritation over the result.
"I had the feeling we were more solid. I've been knocked out of the Champions League nine times in the last ten years, and I often felt we were starting to question ourselves and point the finger at others," he told BILD.
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"We've developed a different bond with each other this season - especially in the dressing room. No one has been looking for blame in the past few days. We all knew we couldn't change the elimination, and now we focus on the last two possible titles," the 29-year-old added.
Joshua Kimmich says the feeling in the dressing room was different this time after the CL exit: "I had the feeling we were more solid. I've been knocked out of the Champions League nine times in the last ten years, and I often had the feeling we were starting to question… pic.twitter.com/a1EAGcj3Jr
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) April 20, 2025
Kimmich also credited Kompany his handling the media to allow players to play with freedom. "He's doing things very smartly - especially in public. That's a huge benefit, it allows us to focus on ourselves and our performances."
Bayern Munich shift focus to Bundesliga chase
The Bundesliga title remains vital for the Bavarians, especially after finishing third in the league behind winners Bayer Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart, back in 2023/24.
Kompany and his star are eager to settle the score this season and they currently have a nine-point lead over second-placed Leverkusen with four games to play. However, Xabi Alonso's men have a game in hand to close the gap to six points.
Following their exit from Europe, Kompany's men hammered Heidenheim 4-0 with Harry Kane, Konrad Laimer, Kingsley Coman and Kimmich all on the scoresheet.
Bayern are desperate to bring the Bundesliga crown Munich. So much so that club CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen gave a motivational speech to the players using club legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge's analogy, after losing to Inter.
"We have to look ahead. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said the Champions League is the icing on the cake, but not the cake. The cake is the Bundesliga. We have five games left and we're six points clear. This is your title. You deserve it.
"There's also still a bit of icing, which is the Club World Cup in the summer, we have big plans there.
The Bundesliga is indeed the cake for the Bavarians, as they aim to win their first silverware under Kompany. The former defender also has an eye on the Club World Cup in June, but the current focus in on that all-important league title.
Bayern Munich related news and links
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