Vincent Kompany backed by Matthaus after Bayern's PSG exit

Lothar Matthaus wants Bayern München to keep playing the way Vincent Kompany has set them up, even after the Champions League semi-final exit to Paris Saint Germain. Bayern lost 6-5 on aggregate and did it in a tie that was full of goals. Matthaus's view is straightforward: the club should not abandon its attacking identity because one huge European night went against them.

Why Matthaus says Bayern should stay bold

"With such an attacking style of play, you can't defend everything, of course," Matthaus told goal.com. "Of course, they've conceded a lot of goals, but they're still very successful this season and are on the verge of winning the double. They've reached the Champions League semi-finals."

That is the heart of his argument. Bayern are already Bundesliga champions, and their domestic record stands at 26 wins, 5 draws and 1 loss. In Europe, they had won 7 and lost 1 before the PSG tie finished them off. For Matthaus, that is not the profile of a team that should suddenly become cautious.

He also pointed to the broader picture around the team. Bayern had a 4-3 win against Mainz and a 3-3 draw against Heidenheim mentioned in the piece, the kind of games that tell you the entertainment has not been accidental. Harry Kane has been central to that, with 13 Champions League goals and 33 in all competitions.

Why the defensive criticism still exists

The case against Bayern's approach is obvious enough from the scoreline. PSG won the first leg 5-4 at home before a 1-1 draw away sealed the tie, and Manuel Neuer was beaten six times across both legs. That is plenty of evidence for anyone who thinks Bayern are giving up too much just to keep the game open.

Arsene Wenger's view in the Standard leaned into PSG's quality as well, saying they "defended fantastically well" and never gave Bayern a chance of a comeback. Matthaus did not deny the flaws, and he did not pretend Bayern were brilliant in the second leg. "FC Bayern certainly didn't deliver their best performance in the semi-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain," he said.

But his conclusion did not change. "FC Bayern stands for spectacular football, and they've shown that this year. I wouldn't deviate from that approach," Matthaus said. That is the sensible line here. Bayern's risk is real, and PSG were ruthless enough to punish it, yet the evidence from the rest of the season still supports Kompany's style more than it undermines it.

Bayern have Wolfsburg, Koln and the DFB-Pokal final against Stuttgart on May 23 left on the schedule. The league title is already secured. The bigger question now is whether Kompany keeps Bayern on the same attacking path in those games, and Matthaus has made clear which side he is on.