Aaron Danks Reveals Kompany's Congratulatory Message After Freiburg Win

Bayern Munich assistant coach Aaron Danks revealed that he received a congratulatory message from Vincent Kompany, who was unable to lead the team due to illness, following the 3-1 win over Freiburg.

With goals from Dayot Upamecano, Serge Gnabry and Michael Olise, the Bavarian giants moved above Borussia Dortmund on goal difference to return to the top of the Bundesliga.

Bayern took to the field without Kompany, who fell ill at the club's training facilities on Friday. The club had announced that the Belgian coach's condition was stable and that he was undergoing further tests in hospital.

Although sporting director Max Eberl indicated that Kompany could be sidelined for a few weeks, the young coach followed Sunday's match and sent Danks a message after the final whistle.

Speaking after the game, Danks said: "When I turned my phone on, I immediately saw a WhatsApp message from Vince saying 'Congratulations', he was very happy. I replied 'Great, now rest' and sent him a kiss emoji. I hope he gets plenty of rest."

Level with their opponents on shots, Bayern established a clear advantage over Freiburg in expected goals (xG) thanks to the high-quality chances they created.

Expressing his satisfaction with the performance, Danks said: "We knew how difficult it is to come here. Freiburg are a very good team and they are in good form. The way we reacted in the last 10 minutes, when they were pushing for an equaliser with the crowd behind them, was positive for us. We needed to show character and resilience, and I think we defended those moments very well."

Alongside Kompany, first-choice goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was also missing at the Europa-Park Stadion with a foot problem. Danks said he was unsure whether the veteran keeper would be fit for Wednesday's DFB-Pokal tie against Magdeburg or the Dortmund derby at the weekend, but he does not expect a long-term injury: "I don't know exactly. He has a slight strain in his foot. It depends on how long it takes to settle down. It might be a bit annoying at the moment, but I don't think it will last very long."