Due to the special circumstances, the boss changed the usual procedures. Vincent Kompany and his team traveled to the next away game in the Champions League earlier than usual on Monday. The reason: The game at Viking Stavanger on Tuesday (9 p.m., live ticker on WELT and Amazon Prime Video) takes place on artificial turf in the Lyse Arena. According to FC Bayern, this is only the second competitive game for the German football champions on this surface - in November 2006 there was a 2-2 draw at Spartak Moscow.
So the FC Bayern coach had his team complete their final training there on Monday evening. Otherwise, this unit always takes place on grass at the club headquarters on Säbener Straße in Munich. Stavanger is called the “oil capital of Europe” and is considered the most modern, richest and most expensive city in Norway. With around 150,000 inhabitants, it is the fourth largest in the country.
Professional midfielder Joshua Kimmich said before leaving for Norway: “I assume that you can play very good football on artificial turf.” Fortunately, artificial turf pitches have developed in recent years and are no longer “like a hockey field”.
His coach demands concentrated performance. “It’s about the mentality of the team,” Kompany said at the press conference at the stadium in Stavanger on Monday evening. “We are prepared for anything.”
Defender Jonathan Tah also sat on the podium in the press room and said on the subject of artificial turf: "It's about not thinking about it so much." He last played on artificial turf a few years ago. And often in his youth at Hamburger SV. "Stavanger is not a team that will hide. We expect a tough opponent."
The coach answered the exciting question at the press conference as to whether Manuel Neuer will play in goal after his mistake in the 2-2 draw against FC Augsburg last weekend or Jonas Urbig at Viking Stavanger: "Manuel isn't training today, he felt something on his foot. So the question of who will be in goal tomorrow can be answered very quickly."
After the game in Augsburg we found out about Neuer's foot problems. According to Kompany, he didn't train last Sunday either. "At that moment you never know whether it will last two days or two weeks. I don't think it's that bad," said Kompany. “But at this stage of the season it makes no sense to take unnecessary risks.” He wouldn't even call it an injury. But Neuer flew to Norway. It was unclear on Monday evening whether he could at least be a part of the matchday squad.
So Urbig will play. If he played in Stavanger, Neuer would have left Spain's goalkeeping legend Iker Casillas behind him with 54 different opponents - and with appearance number 163 he would draw level with the German record player Thomas Müller.
Tah said about Neuer and Urbig: "Being on the pitch with Manu is something very special. His charisma and the security he gives us are something special. Jonas doesn't have to become like him. He takes a lot of things from him and does it very well." And Kompany emphasized: "Jonas played the cup final and important games in the Champions League. He is on schedule. The fact that he is playing in the national team is a logical consequence of this work. He has to develop further. And playing every minute is important for his development."
With Viking Stavanger and FK Bodø/Glimt, two Norwegian clubs are represented in the Champions League for the first time in 27 years. After the 5-0 win on the first matchday against Bodø/Glimt (FK Bodø/Glimt), it is FC Bayern's second game of the season in the premier class.
Viking lost 1:3 against VfB Stuttgart on the first matchday. The nine-time Norwegian champion had to wait more than three decades to return to the premier class. In 2018, Stavanger was still playing in the second division. FC Bayern are undefeated in nine European Cup games against Norwegian teams so far. “Our Norway weeks continue,” said sports director Max Eberl. “We have to and want to win the game to get off to a good start in the Champions League.”
The Norwegians have decided to make things difficult for Bayern. Viking coach Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim said: "Viking have played big games against Barcelona and Chelsea in the past, but tomorrow's game is even bigger. We want to enjoy the challenge."
