Vincent Kompany is not interested in making the pitch the story. Speaking to SPORT1, the Bayern Munich head coach said, “Whether wind, rain or sun, whether in America in Carolina at 45 degrees or in Viking at minus 5 degrees on artificial turf, it is all irrelevant to me. I would like us to be Bayern everywhere.” The message is shared by Max Eberl and Harry Kane, who all want the trip to feel like a normal football task, not a complaint waiting to happen.

Bayern's routine in Stavanger

Bayern München will travel to Norway early and change their routine so they can train on the pitch in Stavanger. Eberl said the artificial turf is “a big factor” in why Bayern are holding their final training session there, while Kompany added: “In 20 years of my career I have never played on artificial turf.” Kane was more measured, saying the surface needs only brief adjustment and should not be a major problem with the right shoes.

That preparation fits a club that is already in decent shape. Bayern are second in the Champions League league phase with 3 points from 1 match, have scored 5 and conceded 0 in Europe this season, and sit third in the Bundesliga with 11 points from 5 matches. They also beat Bodo/Glimt 5-0 in their last Champions League outing, which is a better guide to their European level than any discussion about the pitch.

Viking's chance to lean on the surface

Viking are Champions League debutants, and this is the biggest match in the 127-year history of the club. Their coach, Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim, said the artificial turf can be “a small advantage” because Bayern have hardly played on it so far. He has also called the fixture the biggest in the club’s history, which tells you how much the occasion means in Stavanger.

There is a home-side angle here, but Bayern are treating it properly rather than pretending it does not exist. Joshua Kimmich said artificial turf pitches have developed and are no longer like they were in his youth, which is another way of saying Bayern do not see this as a trap so much as a different surface to handle. That feels like the right read. Viking can hope for a slight edge, but Bayern’s response has been to arrive early, train there and strip the excuse out of the conversation before kickoff.

The match, Viking vs Bayern München, is on Tuesday, October 13th, 2026 at 9:00pm local time, and Bayern have already made the practical adjustment before a ball is kicked.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →