Manuel Neuer's catastrophic error in the opening seconds handed Augsburg an early goal, but Vincent Kompany refused to criticise his veteran goalkeeper after Bayern Munich drew 2-2 at the WWK Arena on Saturday. The Belgian manager acknowledged the mistake while emphasising Neuer's experience and mental resilience during a fifth-round Bundesliga encounter marked by controversial offside calls.
Fellhauer's strike just eight seconds in became the fastest goal in Bundesliga history, setting an uncomfortable tone for Bayern's afternoon. Kompany addressed the incident pragmatically in his post-match press conference, noting he was watching another area of the pitch when the error occurred. "I know what it is like for a player, this happens," the manager said. "If he were a goalkeeper of twenty years of age, then as a manager you would have work to do with him. But Manu is around my age, and he knows how to deal with the situation."
A Match Decided by Millimetres
The fixture descended into a frustrating spectacle of marginal offside decisions, with four Bayern goals disallowed across the 90 minutes. Luis Díaz's contentious ruled-out goal epitomised the afternoon's VAR drama. Kompany maintained philosophical calm about the officiating: "Offside is offside. We do not need to complicate everything more than it already is. It was a day on which everything was decided by the details and the millimetres."
Ismael Saibari equalised in the 55th minute before Rodrigo Ribeiro restored Augsburg's lead at 64 minutes. Nathanael Brown's substitute appearance proved decisive, as he levelled the contest in the 80th minute. Bayern's inability to convert attacking dominance into goals frustrated supporters, though Kompany highlighted their collective response to adversity: "We always stand together as a team. The match is over now and we cannot change it. Only the next match is what matters now."
When pressed about goalkeeper rotation ahead of Tuesday's Champions League qualifying fixture against Viking, Kompany offered no clarity. "I will not say anything about that," he deflected, keeping Jonas Urbig's potential involvement shrouded in mystery. Bayern's focus now shifts to Norway as they seek to banish the frustration of a draw that felt closer to defeat.
