Kompany defiant after wild semifinal: ‘We’ll die on the pitch’ to overturn 5-4 deficit

Vincent Kompany has vowed his team will “give absolutely everything, really everything, even if we have to die on the pitch” after a breathtaking semifinal first leg that ended 5-4 and left his side improbably still alive.

“Normally when you concede five goals in a semifinal, you’re out,” the Bayern Munich manager said after Thursday’s chaotic away fixture. “But we scored four and could have added more.”

The math is unusual but simple for Kompany. At 5-2, he conceded, the tie would be all but over. But his side’s relentless fightback has trimmed a mountainous deficit to something almost manageable.

“Now it’s basically 1-0,” he said, reframing the seven-goal thriller as a slender advantage for the opposition heading into next week’s return leg.

That second leg will take place at a feverish Allianz Arena, where Kompany expects a cauldron of noise to fuel his side’s improbable pursuit.

“The atmosphere will be crazy,” he said. “We know we have to win.”

His message to supporters and players alike carried an unmistakable edge of defiance. “We’ll give absolutely everything, really everything we have even if we have to die on the pitch. We believe.”

Whether that belief translates into one of the most remarkable final berths in recent memory will be decided under the Munich lights. One thing is certain: Kompany’s side will arrive with nothing held back.