Kompany keeps lid on hype as teenage duo fire Bayern past Jeju in pre-season
Vincent Kompany has insisted there is no pressure on Bayern Munich's youngsters after they stole the show in the club's latest pre-season outing, with two teenagers getting on the scoresheet in a 2-1 win over South Korean side Jeju SK.
Nineteen-year-old Felipe Chavez and 16-year-old Bastian Assomo netted the goals for the reigning Bundesliga champions on Tuesday, as several first-team regulars had yet to return from their summer holidays. The performance of the inexperienced duo caught the eye, but Kompany was quick to play down expectations.
"It's always important to give the youngsters information, help and challenge them," said Kompany after the game. "For example, about Basti Assomo and the goal he scored, we know that he was capable of that. He still has many things to improve as a striker, but it was good for a 16-year-old to score."
"For me there's no pressure on these youngsters, it's a learning curve for them. Guido [Della Rovere] and Chavez are a bit older than Basti. There are guys who are ready for the next step, whether with us or elsewhere. We have to support them on this path. They have to keep going."
Senior stars return to the fold
While the match was ultimately decided by Bayern's younger players, there were welcome returns for several key names. Luis Diaz and Konrad Laimer both featured for the first time in pre-season, while Germany internationals Joshua Kimmich, Jonathan Tah, Aleksandar Pavlovic and Nathaniel Brown were handed increased minutes.
Kompany, however, stressed that Diaz, Laimer and Josip Stanisic still need more time to reach full fitness before featuring more prominently.
Rotation plan for Aston Villa clash
Bayern's next pre-season test comes against Europa League winners Aston Villa on Friday, and Kompany revealed his plans to rotate the squad as players continue to build match sharpness.
"I think the players who played 30 minutes today will be able to play 60 minutes on Friday. And those who got 60 minutes today will play 30 on Friday," explained the Belgian. "Lucho Diaz, Laimer and Stanisic are not ready for that yet. But the German internationals, [Kim] Min-jae and [Hiroki] Ito are ready."
The match against Aston Villa will provide a significantly sterner test for Kompany's side as they continue their preparations for the defence of their Bundesliga crown.