‘Proud of the boys’ — Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany celebrates Champions League win, youngster debuts
What a night for FC Bayern. And for a pair of academy talents, debuts to remember.
MUNICH, GERMANY - MARCH 18: Vincent Kompany, Head Coach of FC Bayern Munich, inspects the pitch prior to the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 Second Leg match between FC Bayern München and Atalanta BC at Football Arena Munich on March 18, 2026 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images) | Getty Images Bayern Munich enjoyed another feast of goals against Atalanta on Wednesday, notching a 4-1 win in the second leg of its Champions League Round of 16 tie with the Italian club en route to a 10-2 aggregate win that will see the Bavarians facing off against Real Madrid next month in the quarters. Result already nearly in hand, the German record champions eased their way through the second leg.
It looked like it might be a slow-paced, low-scoring affair that was more about getting to the next few weeks healthy. That the Bavarians still poured on the goals — even with multiple youngsters on the pitch by the end — was cause for exuberance. “I’m proud of the boys: the performance, the goals, the energy on the pitch.
That’s not a given with such a lead from the first leg,” Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said after the match, as captured by @iMiaSanMia . “Overall it was a positive day for the club. ” The Bayern coach took particular pride in the opportunity to hand out opportunities to Bayern’s youngsters.
In part due to absences, in part due to the state of the tie, Bayern dressed three youngsters from the campus on Wednesday: 16-year-old center-back Filip Pavić, 20-year-old right-back Vincent Manuba, and 18-year-old left-back Deniz Ofli. Both Pavić and Ofli got their chance to play, having come on in the 73rd and 56th minutes, respectively. “It’s not easy for young players to get minutes at FC Bayern.