by Oliver Trust
BERLIN, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Late in the evening, Alphonso Davies received special care.
While Bayern Chairman Jan-Christian Dreesen's well-wishes at the club's after-match banquet in Bergamo included the injured Jamal Musiala and Jonas Urbig, the official directly addressed the Canadian.
"Dear Phonzie, we suffer with you and assure you our full support. We keep our fingers crossed for a rapid recovery," the official said after the full-back had left the pitch in tears, trying to hide under his shirt.
While the injuries to Musiala, goalkeeper Urbig and Davies overshadowed the Bavarians' 6-1 victory in the first leg of the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League against Atalanta, a striking conclusion remains, sparking optimism for the 2025/26 campaign.
This season, in a notable way, Bayern managed to balance its injury troubles and stay on track.
Vincent Kompany filled the gaps by including his entire squad and maintaining a high level of quality, despite the temporary loss of key figures.
While Musiala and Davies were sidelined for several months and only returned at the end of 2025, Manuel Neuer and Hiroki Ito were also sidelined, with goal-supplier Harry Kane occasionally having to take minor breaks.
When Dreesen addressed the club's entourage and team, Urbig underwent surgery in a nearby hospital due to a suspected concussion. Musiala received treatment for ankle pain, and only Davies joined the banquet celebrations.
"To have all around widens our options for the upcoming crunch time, but the team proved that we can make up for losses in a remarkable way," Kompany said.
The Bayern coach praised the team's morale and explained Kane's 90 minutes on the bench due to a minor muscle issue he suffered in recent games. "He was close to being substituted when it was 3-0, and far from it when it was 5-0," Kompany said with a wink.
Kane's replacement, Nicolas Jackson, earned the best marks and made it 4-0 shortly after the break. Eight different Bavarian players collected scorer points in Bergamo, with the team averaging 3.44 goals per game.
"Vincent seems to always have something on hand," Dreesen said, while mentioning that the doors for the last eight rounds are open wide.
Dreesen highlighted the team's greediness, "as you don't stop when it's 3-0 but continue your goal hunt."
The official spoke about a "statement win," while the Bavarians eagerly await the final results after injured players such as Davies, Musiala and Urbig undergo more surgery in Munich.
"We see what happens," Kompany said, but emphasized, "that we take things as they come and make the best of it." ■