Guardiola's brief moment in the spotlight quickly faded, and Kompany avoided a harsh judgment

FC Bayern München Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Semi Final First Leg

Manager Vincent Kompany surprisingly opted for Alphonso Davies at left-back against Paris Saint-Germain instead of Konrad Laimer. Although the full-back did concede a penalty, the move ultimately did not come back to haunt the coach.

Around an hour before this Champions League semi-final between Paris Saint-Germain and FC Bayern, a distinct whiff of Pep Guardiola suddenly swept through the Parc des Princes. The teamsheets had just been released, and Konrad Laimer was missing from the Bayern lineup; instead, Alphonso Davies was included. Confirmed: Koan Konny!

For no apparent reason, manager Vincent Kompany decided to tinker with the back four that had excelled in numerous top-flight matches this season, making the change in the biggest game of all. The move inevitably recalled his mentor, Pep Guardiola. The Catalan coach was famous for believing that the bigger the game, the bolder the tactics needed to be. During his three years at Bayern Munich, Guardiola often overthought matches—some would say he over-managed them. 

In the 2014 Champions League semi-final second leg against Real Madrid, he imposed a high-risk 4-2-3-1 with Bastian Schweinsteiger and Toni Kroos as a double-six, despite the key players' misgivings. Instead of overturning the 1-0 first-leg deficit, Bayern were hit on the break and crushed 4-0. Two years later, in the first leg of the semi-final against Atlético Madrid, he surprisingly left out Thomas Müller and Franck Ribéry, preferring Uli Hoeneß's favourite, Juan Bernat. Bayern lost 0-1 and were ultimately eliminated once again.

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FC Bayern: Laimer and Stanisic rank among the season's biggest winners.

So now it's Kompany and Davies instead of Laimer. Why did he do that? After all, Laimer and his like-minded counterpart Josip Stanisic are among the unsung heroes of this impressive season. Both impress as tenacious tacklers and, above all, as driving forces in attack. Laimer has already racked up 15 points this season, while Stanisic has scored ten. 

Lately the only debate has been which of them will occupy the left or right side. "We discuss this at least once a week in our coaching room," Kompany revealed last week. "None of us knows whether Konrad or Stani is better on the left or the right. If you ask me which of the two plays best on the left and which on the right, it's almost impossible to answer. For us, that's a luxury." 

Against PSG, however, Kompany surprisingly opted out of that luxury and chose Davies instead. The former first-choice left-back had been sidelined for months with a cruciate ligament tear. Following his comeback in December, he suffered several physical setbacks, and there was even speculation at times about a summer transfer. Most recently, Davies had made a positive impact coming off the bench and had started two Bundesliga matches in a row. Many assumed his inclusion was merely to rest Laimer and Stanisic—they were wrong.

Paris Saint-Germain v FC Bayern München - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Semi Final First Leg

Vincent Kompany relied on Alphonso Davies' pace

By introducing Davies, Kompany prioritised pace over pattern, choosing to match the opposition's tempo rather than sticking rigidly to his own game plan. The move exposed him to potential criticism: had it backfired, he would have faced football's harshest managerial verdict—"mismanaged"—just as Guardiola once did. 

Shortly before half-time, Davies indeed gave away a penalty—ultimately justified—for a debatable handball, which Ousmane Dembélé converted to put Paris 3-2 ahead. Apart from that, however, the full-back delivered a solid shift, and the scent of Guardiola quickly faded at the Parc des Princes. Although the move did not prove decisive, Kompany cannot be accused of being "out-coached". 

Davies looked sharp and controlled his left flank better against Desire Doué than the Bavarians' weakest link, Stanisic, contained the brace-scoring Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the right. The Canadian also launched a swift break from his own box, heading clear and sparking the move that won Munich's opening penalty.

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FC Bayern: Who will start in the return leg against PSG?

Nevertheless, Aaron Danks, standing in for the suspended Kompany on the touchline, replaced him at half-time. Laimer came on but never quite hit his stride. In the build-up to the 2-4, he left his flank exposed. He was indeed involved in attacks, yet he completed only 74% of his passes; Stanisic's 75% was only marginally better. Davies, by contrast, boasted a 96% pass accuracy, the highest in Munich's starting XI. 

With the return leg in Munich next Wednesday, the full-back spots are up for grabs. Kompany could bench Stanisic—who struggled in Paris—and deploy Laimer at right-back, a role he fills just as effectively on either flank.