'We lived together for a month' – Kompany credits Club World Cup bonding for flying Bayern start

Vincent Kompany believes Bayern Munich's new players have integrated quicker than usual due to the Club World Cup, following their perfect start to the season.

Bayern visit Hoffenheim for the fourth game of their Bundesliga campaign on Saturday, having won their first three matches while scoring 14 goals and only conceding two.

It is the fourth consecutive season in which Bayern have won their first three Bundesliga matches – the longest run in competition history.

Only Bayern themselves in 2022-23, meanwhile, have scored more than 14 goals after three matches in the German top flight (15 in that instance), and they also beat Chelsea 3-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday.

At Friday's pre-match press conference, Kompany argued the Club World Cup – where Bayern reached the quarter-finals before losing to Paris Saint-Germain – served as an elongated pre-season of sorts.

"The Club World Cup helped in the integration of new players," Kompany said. "There is this feeling that players like Jonathan Tah and Tom Bischof have been here longer.

"Maybe it has to do with the fact that we were living together for an entire month.

"We don't really know how the Club World Cup will influence the season, but we stayed together for a month and that is rare for a club. If we can use that, then we will.

"To grow more together we have to win against Hoffenheim. We are playing well, scoring goals and have worked hard to deserve this momentum. We have to keep working in order to maintain this." 

Bayern lost full-back Josip Stanisic to a knee injury during their midweek win over Chelsea, during which Harry Kane scored twice, becoming only the third player to score 20 or more Champions League goals for two different clubs (21 for Bayern, 21 for Tottenham), after Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar.

Though Stanisic – who has been an ever-present this season – is not expected to return until the October international break, Kompany expects his team to cope.

"Whoever plays tomorrow, I won't expect one per cent less from the team," Kompany said. "I have confidence in all the players.

"We have to solve it again with the boys we have. I just want to see how the boys got through Wednesday and what is left in their legs from the last game."

Hoffenheim are sixth in the table after a positive start of their own, beating Bayer Leverkusen and Union Berlin either side of a defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Hoffenheim – Andrej Kramaric

No other active Bundesliga player has scored as many Bundesliga goals against Bayern Munich as Kramaric (eight). 

In a 4-2 win at Union last week, Kramaric scored his 127th Bundesliga goal, going joint-fourth in the Bundesliga's all-time foreign goalscorer charts, alongside Vedad Ibisevic. 

Only Robert Lewandowski (312), Claudio Pizarro (197) and Giovane Elber (133) are the only non-Germans to net more Bundesliga goals.

Bayern Munich – Harry Kane

Who else but the England captain? Kane was directly involved in eight goals over the first three matchdays of this Bundesliga season (five goals, three assists) – a new record for a player after three matchdays since German data collection by Opta began in 2004/05. 

He has registered at least two goal involvements in each of his last four Bundesliga appearances – the first time he has achieved this feat.

MATCH PREDICTION – BAYERN MUNICH WIN

Bayern won both of their Bundesliga matches against Hoffenheim by an aggregate score of 9-0 last season – their largest aggregate margin of victory against any team.

Additionally, since a 1-2 loss at Mainz in December 2024, Bayern have not lost any of their last 10 Bundesliga away games (W7 D3) – their longest streak since 2019-20 under Hansi Flick (also 10). 

The last time Bayern had a longer away unbeaten streak was from 2015 to 2016 (14 games). 

Hoffenheim have achieved as many victories in their three Bundesliga games this season as in their previous 12 at the end of 2024-25 (two), but they have struggled at home lately.

Hoffenheim have only won one of their last 12 league matches at the PreZero Arena (D5 L6) while losing each of their last three. Another defeat here would equal their club record in the Bundesliga (last recorded in 2022).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Hoffenheim – 14.5%

Bayern Munich – 67.6% 

Draw – 18%