'THAT WAS EXTREME TODAY' - VINCENT KOMPANY REACTS TO BAYERN MUNICH 3-2 WIN OVER BORUSSIA DORTMUND

Vincent Kompany embraced enjoyed the intensity of Der Klassiker after Bayern Munich’s dramatic 3-2 win over Borussia Dortmund.

28 February 2026, North Rhine-Westphalia, Dortmund: Soccer, Men, Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund - FC Bayern Munich, Matchday 24, Signal Iduna Park, Coach Vincent Kompany (Bayern Munich) gives instructions. IMPORTANT NOTE: In accordance with the regulations of the DFL German Football League and the DFB German Football Association, it is prohibited to use or have used photographs taken in the stadium and/or of the match in the form of sequential images and/or video-like photo series. Photo: David Inderlied/dpa (Photo by David Inderlied/picture alliance via Getty Images)

When Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund meet, you can always expect some tension, and eventful clashes. On Saturday, Der Klassiker delivered once again when Bayern defeated Die Borussen 2-3 in a thrilling encounter.

After a pretty mild first half, the teams turned it up a notch for the second half, especially the last 15-20 minutes of it, with a late equalizer by BVB’s Daniel Svensson in the 83rd minute to knot the game, before Bayern captain Joshua Kimmich managed to score the winning goal with a beautiful shot into the upper corner of Gregor Kobel’s goal in the 87th minute.

Bayern’s coach Vincent Kompany pointed this out during an interview after the match, emphasizing both team’s initiative to get an extremely important victory, as captured by FCBayern.com. “That was extreme today. You could feel that Dortmund desperately wanted to seize their opportunity. We noticed that throughout the entire 90 minutes. Even after the 2-2, they kept pushing forward; they were determined to win. But our lads didn’t just sit back either. We kept trying to create our chances,” stated Kompany.

Kompany also took a chance to stress the attractiveness of the Bundesliga, showcasing to the football world how exciting the league can be. “In my opinion, it was great publicity for the Bundesliga. With intensity, goals, and above all, the absolute will of both teams to always attack and win the game.”

With this victory, Bayern Munich inches closer to the title, sitting atop the Bundesliga already having an 11-point lead over 2nd-placed Borussia Dortmund, with 10 games remaining.

- alco1

GERMANY 'SEND MESSAGE' WITH 6-0 SLOVAKIA ROUT TO REACH 2026 WORLD CUP

Germany have laboured past underdog opponents in this campaign but were 4-0 up at half-time and humming in Leipzig.

Leroy Sane struck twice and Nick Woltemade scored for the third straight Germany game.© X 

Germany captain Joshua Kimmich said his side "wanted to send a message" with Monday's 6-0 thumping of Slovakia in Leipzig which sealed their progress to the 2026 World Cup. Leroy Sane struck twice and Nick Woltemade scored for the third straight Germany. The win put Germany through atop Group A and into next year's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Slovakia finished second and will go into a play-off. "Everyone wanted to send a message today. Everyone knew what was at stake," Kimmich told Germany's ZDF. "In Germany, we're not used to it being difficult to qualify -- that's why I'm very happy with how we played."

Germany have laboured past underdog opponents in this campaign but were 4-0 up at half-time and humming in Leipzig.

Woltemade continued his golden run with the opening goal after 18 minutes. Serge Gnabry added the second 11 minutes later. 

Under pressure Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz sparked to life late in the first half, laying on two goals for Sane in five minutes. 

Ridle Baku and debutant Assan Ouedraogo scored in the second half.

"We're relieved. It's a great moment," Woltemade said. "I'm playing, I'm scoring goals and I'm hopefully playing at the World Cup."

"Tonight we showed the quality we have in this team. It was a pleasure," Woltemade, 23, added. 

Germany's win also guarantees the four-time World Cup winners a high seeding that should protect them from an early clash with another of the tournament's big guns. 

"Every player played well today and worked like a dog," coach Julian Nagelsmann said. 

"We showed incredible team spirit and pushed ourselves on the pitch from the very beginning." 

Fifth straight victory

The nature of Germany's fifth straight victory puts a glowing finish on a solid but unimpressive qualifying campaign. 

Germany have been efficient but rarely impressive and needed to avoid defeat on Monday to top their group and qualify directly.

Slovakia had dominated Germany to win 2-0 in the reverse fixture, their first ever competitive victory over the European giants.

Nagelsmann will be buoyed by the performance under pressure while several injured starters will make their way back in the coming months, including Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala, Antonio Rudiger and Marc-Andre ter Stegen. 

The Germans helped quell the butterflies when Woltemade headed in to break through with 18 minutes gone. 

The strike meant the Newcastle striker had scored Germany's past four goals over three games.

After Slovakia's Michal Duris forced a fingertip save from Germany's Oliver Baumann, Gnabry put the fans in party mood with 29 minutes gone, guiding the ball home to double Germany's lead. 

Wirtz then found Sane with two pinpoint passes to put Germany four up at the break. 

Nagelsmannn took off captain Joshua Kimmich with Germany well in control and his replacement Baku had an immediate impact, blasting in a Gnabry pass two minutes after coming on. 

The Germany coach bought on teenager Ouedraogo with 15 minutes remaining and the RB Leipzig midfielder added a goal and celebrated in front of his home fans.

- Agence France-Presse

JAMAL MUSIALA NAMED IN BAYERN MUNICH'S UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SQUAD

Jamal Musiala has not played for Bayern Munich since suffering a serious leg injury on 5 July. - © IMAGO/Teresa Kröger /M.i.S.

Bayern Munich have included injured star Jamal Musiala in their squad for the league phase of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League.

Musiala, who has been out of action since suffering a serious leg and ankle break against Paris Saint-Germain at the FIFA Club World Cup in July, is among the 23 players selected by Vincent Kompany for the league phase of the tournament, which gets under way later this month.

The 22-year-old told Sport Bild earlier this week that he is aiming to return to first-team action with Bayern before the end of the calendar year.

His return has now moved one step closer after his inclusion in Kompany's squad, which also features new signings Tom Bischof, Luis Díaz, Nicolas Jackson and Jonathan Tah as well as the usual suspects such as Harry Kane, Joshua Kimmich and captain Manuel Neuer.

“The healing process is going according to plan,” he said. “I no longer need crutches. “I don’t want to specify a date, but given the progress I’ve made so far, I’d say I want to be playing competitive matches with Bayern in 2025.”

The reigning Bundesliga champions, who have started the 2025/26 season with four wins in all competitions, kick-off their Champions League campaign at home to English Premier League side Chelsea at the Allianz Arena on 17 September. 

They will then face Paris Saint-Germain (A), Club Brugge (H), Arsenal (A), Sporting Lisbon (H), PSV Eindhoven (A), Union Saint-Gilloise (H), and Pafos (A) in the league stage.

Bayern’s Champions League squad in full:

Goalkeepers

Manuel Neuer, Sven Ulreich, Jonas Urbig

Defenders

Dayot Upamecano, Minjae Kim, Jonathan Tah, Hiroki Ito, Raphaël Guerreiro, Sacha Boey, Cassiano Kiala, Josip Stanišić

Midfielders

Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, Jamal Musiala, Michael Olise, Alphonso Davies, Tom Bischof, Konrad Laimer, Aleksandar Pavlović

Forwards

Serge Gnabry, Harry Kane, Nicolas Jackson, Luis Díaz

- Bundesliga

GERMANY SURVIVE ITALY SCARE TO MAKE NATIONS OK LEAGUE SEMI-FINALS

Germany survived a spirited second-half fightback from Italy, letting a three-goal lead slip to draw 3-3 in Dortmund on Sunday, before reaching the Nations League semi-finals 5-4 on aggregate.

AFP

Germany survived a spirited second-half fightback from Italy, letting a three-goal lead slip to draw 3-3 in Dortmund on Sunday, before reaching the Nations League semi-finals 5-4 on aggregate. A first-half Joshua Kimmich masterclass, with a penalty and two assists for Jamal Musiala and Tim Kleindienst, had Germany 3-0 up and cruising at the break. However, injury-hit Italy kicked into gear in the second half, Moise Kean scoring a double to rattle the hosts. Italy looked on course to level the scores when they were awarded a penalty with 73 minutes gone, but it was overturned by VAR. 

Giacomo Raspadori then converted a stoppage time penalty to give Italy a glimmer of hope. 

The result not only secured Germany a first-ever Nations League semi-final spot, where they will face Portugal, but it means the remainder of the tournament will be held on German soil, in Stuttgart and Munich in June. 

Despite the second-half scare, the victory continues Germany's resurgence under Julian Nagelsmann. 

Germany's only loss in their past 17 matches came in extra-time at Euro 2024 against eventual champions Spain in the quarter-finals. 

Nagelsmann said Germany "learned lessons for our development" from the game, adding "we know how well we can play football -- but we have to show it throughout the game. 

"I'm going home with an understanding of what we're capable of, but it's also nice that we've got a bit more to do," he said.

Italy coach Luciano Spalletti admitted his side lacked "maturity" and said "you always learn from games like this."

"The second half was very good, but we were too afraid to play like that for the whole game."

'Something impossible'

Italy travelled to Dortmund, the site of their 2006 World Cup semi-final win over the same opponents, with a mountain to climb. 

After letting a one-goal lead slip to lose in Milan in the first leg, Italy saw defenders Riccardo Calafiori and Andrea Cambiaso added to an injury list which already included striker Mateo Retegui and left-back Federico Dimarco.

Spalletti spoke pre-match of needing to do "something impossible" and his side were up against it from the get-go as Germany burst out of the blocks.

With Musiala on top form and Nico Schlotterback sending in penetrating passes from the deep, Germany's breakthrough came from the spot. 

Alessandro Buongiorno brought down a surging Kleindienst in the box and Kimmich converted, just the fourth penalty for either club or country in the 30-year-old's career.

After an acrobatic save to keep out a Kleindienst header by Gianluigi Donnarumma, the quick-thinking Kimmich played the ball fast from the ensuing corner. 

The move caught the Italians napping, with Musiala tapping in from close range as the Italian goalkeeper was still remonstrating with the referee.

Nagelsmann said the quick thinking was "world-class and unbelievably smart," and admitted "I didn't see it at all."

In the final minute of the half, Donnarumma palmed away a Kleindienst header, but this time could not keep it out, with the home crowd erupting as the referee pointed to his watch to show the ball had crossed the line. 

Germany dropped in intensity in the second half and the Italians pounced, Kean latching onto a loose ball and blasting home after 49 minutes.  

Spalletti brought on Raspadori and the Napoli man had an immediate impact, threading a pass for Kean to curl a ball past Oliver Baumann's outstretched arm with 68 minutes played. 

The stunned Germans were shocked further five minutes later when they conceded a penalty, but the spot kick was overturned by VAR. 

The Italians did eventually get a spot kick in stoppage time, with Raspadori converting, but it was too late as Germany held on to progress on aggregate.

- Agence France-Presse

ARSENAL SUBMIT OFFER TO SIGN WORLD CLASS BAYERN MÜNCHEN STAR

Bayern Munich stars Harry Kane and Joshua Kimmich

Arsenal have made their move for an elite Bayern Munich star, with two reports in Germany providing full details on the proposed move.

The need for a potent new striker is hoovering up many of the headlines regarding Arsenal and their transfer plans for the summer. However, additions in other areas are being sought by the club ahead of potential exits.

Midfielders Jorginho (33) and Thomas Partey (31) are both out of contract at season’s end. According to the latest out of Germany, Arsenal want Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich to replace Jorginho specifically.

Kimmich is in his tenth season in Munich and despite being 30 years of age, is a world class operator in two positions. Indeed, the versatile German is equally at home playing at right-back or in central midfield.

Kimmich has lifted 20 major honours during his time with Bayern including eight league titles and a Champions League, though his storied spell with the Bundesliga’s biggest club looks to be coming to an end.

Kimmich is out of contract in the summer and had been engaged in talks over an extension with Bayern. But per BILD chief Christian Falk, Bayern recently rescinded the offer they’d put to Kimmich.

Falk wrote on X:  ‘FC Bayern has withdrawn its offer for a new contract for Joshua Kimmich.’

A subsequent update from Sky Germany has shed light on precisely why talks between Bayern and Kimmich broke down.

They revealed Kimmich informed Bayern he had received two ‘official and written offers’ from clubs outside of Germany.

With those offers in his mind, Kimmich continued to stall on penning fresh terms in Munich, much to the club’s annoyance.

Arsenal are claimed to be one of the two clubs who’ve made a move, with the report stating they’ve ‘intensified its efforts to sign Joshua Kimmich in recent days and has held concrete talks.’

What will Joshua Kimmich decide?

It’s important to note that while Bayern have withdrawn the offer they had made, Sky Germany insisted Bayern could still attempt to forge an extension.

The final offer Bayern made contained a gross salary offer of €20m per season that would run until the end of the 2027/28 season (three-year deal). €20m per year equates to a pre-tax weekly wage of around £315,000.

Bayern officials are said to have become ‘astonished and angry’ that this sizeable offer was not enough to convince Kimmich to sign.

As such, any new offer they put on the table will either be at that same amount or even lower.

With relations between the parties appearing to be souring, the door is ajar for rival clubs like Arsenal to strike.

And given Kimmich has thus far resisted the temptation to re-sign with Bayern despite their sizeable offer, there appears to be a willingness to explore a move away.

The identity of the other team to put an official contract offer to Kimmich is believed to be PSG.

- Steve Pearson

GERMANY COACH BLASTS PUBLIC BROADCASTER FOR ASKING IF THERE SHOULD BE MORE WHITE PLAYER'S IN HIS TEAM

AP

 HERZOGENAURACH, Germany (AP) — Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann says he's shocked that a public broadcaster asked participants in a survey if they would prefer more white players in the national soccer team.

Nagelsmann agreed Sunday with midfielder Joshua Kimmich’s comments the day before that the survey for German state broadcaster ARD was “absolutely racist” and said it was “madness for a public broadcaster to ask such a question.”

The survey of 1,304 randomly selected participants found 21% would prefer it if more players with white skin were playing for Germany.

“I thought about it briefly and I have the feeling that we need to wake up a bit,” Nagelsmann said at the team's training camp for the upcoming European Championship. “There are people in Europe who’ve had to flee because of war, economic factors, environmental disasters, people who simply want to be taken in. We have to ask what are we doing at the moment? We in Germany are doing very, very well, and when we say something like that, I think it’s crazy how we turn a blind eye and simply block out such things.”

Nagelsmann said Kimmich was correct when he said a soccer team can be a role model for how different cultures, religious backgrounds and skin colors can join in a group to work together for major goals.

“I always find it bizarre that we all go on vacation to get to know other cultures and then other cultures come here and we complain about it. It’s bizarre,” Nagelsmann said. “So, I can’t go on vacation then, I always have to stay where I am.”

Nagelsmann agreed with Kimmich that he does not want to do without any of the players he nominated in his squad, which includes Black players.

“It’s good as it is,” Nagelsmann said. “We’re playing a European Championship for everyone in the country. And anyone who can play top football is invited to be a national player and give their all for their country. And that’s what we’re doing. And I hope I never have to read about such a (expletive) survey again.”

Germany plays Ukraine on Monday in its first warmup game for Euro 2024. It plays Greece for its next friendly on Friday in Mönchengladbach.

The host nation gets the tournament underway June 14 against Scotland in Munich. It then plays Hungary in Stuttgart on June 19 and Switzerland in Frankfurt on June 23.

HARRY KANE STEERS BAYERN MUNICH INTO CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTERFINALS WITH TWO GOALS IN 3-0 WIN OVER LAZIO

DPA via AP

 MUNICH (AP) — He’s done it again.

Harry Kane scored twice to steer Bayern Munich into the quarterfinals of the Champions League with a 3-0 win over Lazio on Tuesday.

Kane’s 32nd and 33rd goals this season for Bayern ensured the Bavarian powerhouse recovered from losing the first leg of the last 16 tie 1-0 in Rome to win 3-1 on aggregate over two legs.

“A perfect night for us,” said Kane, the man of the match.

The win will ease the pressure on Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel, whose premature departure at the end of the season was announced by Bayern after the team's three-game losing run — including the defeat in Rome.

Bayern's new sporting director Max Eberl said before Tuesday's game that Tuchel would remain in charge afterward even if the team lost, but there had been a feeling defeat would bring forward the coach's exit.

Bayern, which is 10 points behind Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, was facing the prospect of just its second elimination in 12 appearances at this stage of the Champions League.

“If we had been eliminated today, it would have been more than unfortunate,” Bayern president Herbert Hainer said.

Kane broke the deadlock in the 38th minute after Ciro Immobile had gone close for Lazio at the other end.

Thomas Müller headed Aleksandar Pavlović’s cross back for Raphaël Guerreiro to mis-hit it, and Kane threw himself at the ball to just head it past Ivan Provedel in the Lazio goal.

There was still time before the break for Müller to score in first-half stoppage time with a glancing header to Matthijs de Ligt’s shot after a corner.

Kane sealed the result in the 66th by firing in the rebound after Leroy Sané drew a save from Provedel. It was the England captain’s sixth Champions League goal this season.

TRANSFERS THAT COULD CAUSE CHAOS: MBAPPÉ TO MADRID AND MORE

Getty

Not all transfers are created equal, especially midway through the European season in the January window. Indeed, some moves would cause shock waves through the game if they happen. They probably won't, but here are some that could do just that.

Kylian Mbappé: Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid

The big one. Mbappé's contract at Paris Saint-Germain expires in the summer and, as yet, there are no signs he is set to pen a new one. The 24-year-old reportedly wants to move to Real Madrid, but is loath to do so on a free transfer out of respect for his club, so that means the January transfer window is likely to be the last chance he could do so for a fee -- unless he agrees to a new deal with an achievable release clause, of course.

Madrid are expected to make him a pre-contract offer to sign in the summer when Jan. 1 arrives, reportedly with a 15-day deadline to accept it. Things could get messy if he doesn't. Or if he does. Either way, chaos ensues for the next few months. And if he decides to move in January for, say, €80 million, then he could get a shot at finally winning the Champions League with Madrid, as a player can no longer be cup-tied.