Bayern Make Six Changes for Champions League Visit to Viking

Bayern Munich head to Norway to face Viking Stavanger in the Champions League on Tuesday, with Vincent Kompany making six changes to his starting lineup after a 2-2 Bundesliga draw against Augsburg. The German champions are seeking another European victory following their 5-0 opening win over Bodø/Glimt, while Viking prepare for a historic home fixture.

According to Bild, Jonas Urbig replaces Manuel Neuer in goal after Neuer experienced foot pain during the Augsburg match. Kompany also selects Minjae Kim, Laimer, Bischof, Brown and Karl, replacing Upamecano, Davies, Saibari, Stanisic and Pavlovic.

Bayern's starting lineup is Urbig; Laimer, Kim, Tah, Brown; Bischof, Kimmich; Karl, Olise, Diaz; and Kane. Viking's lineup is Ostbo; Heggheim, Stensness, Falchener, Haugen; Bjordal, Bell, Askildsen; Christiansen, Botheim and Tripic, according to Bild.

The match presents Bayern with an unusual challenge because Viking play on artificial turf. Absolut Fussball reported that Bayern had traveled to Stavanger on Monday and trained on the surface that evening. The German club had last played a competitive match on artificial turf away to Spartak Moscow approximately 20 years earlier.

Viking's first home match in the Champions League also requires substantial logistical preparations. According to Absolut Fussball, the Norwegian club cut down trees near its approximately 15,000-capacity Lyse Arena to make room for team vehicles and television production trucks. Chief executive Eirik Björnö described the work as a necessary adjustment.

"We had to make a few adjustments," said Eirik Björnö, Viking's chief executive.

The club plans to replant trees in the cleared areas after the match, according to Absolut Fussball. The fixture marks a major occasion for Viking, which is competing in the Champions League after winning Norway's Eliteserien title last season, its first league championship since 1991.

Viking's unusual coaching structure is another defining feature of the Norwegian champions. Morten Jensen and Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim have shared responsibility for the team for more than two years, dividing duties across tactical preparation, defense, attacking play and player motivation.

Jensen and Aarsheim first discussed their ambition to manage a team together around 2012. Aarsheim, a former Viking player with nearly 300 appearances for the club, was then working at a local bank, while Jensen worked in the oil and gas industry. Both were involved in coaching semi-professional teams.

"One day, we should manage a team together," Aarsheim recalled of their shared ambition.

When Viking sought a new head coach in 2020, the pair presented a 120-page tactical document to chief executive Eirik Bjorno and sporting director Erik Nevland. Their presentation included an image of sheep representing rival teams and two wolves symbolizing themselves.

"Do you want to hire these two predatory wolves? We will devour all these sheep," Jensen recalled telling the club's leadership.

Viking decided to take a chance on the partnership. Nevland, a former Manchester United and Fulham striker, said the club needed a different approach to improve its performance.

"Let's just try it," Nevland recalled of the decision.

The experiment ultimately helped Viking win the Norwegian league title last season after defeating strong opposition from Bodø/Glimt. The club's return to prominence followed relegation in 2017, according to Vietnam.vn.

"When I speak with sporting directors from other countries, they don't say Viking; they all say, 'Oh, you have two head coaches.' That is something special, and there is no reason to change something that works," Nevland said.

Aarsheim and Jensen have developed complementary responsibilities, with Aarsheim concentrating primarily on defensive organization and tactical training, while Jensen focuses on attacking play and motivation. When disagreements arise, they discuss their differences in front of the coaching staff until they reach an agreement.

"I am the calm one who finds solutions, while Morten is the one who dares to think big and express his bold dreams," Aarsheim said.

The two coaches began working together after deciding not to compete against each other for Viking's vacant managerial position. Their partnership has remained in place as the club progressed from its post-relegation rebuilding period to domestic champions.

"For us, Viking is Barcelona," the coaches' philosophy was summarized in Vietnam.vn's account of the club's approach.

"We want the players to understand that, in our eyes, Viking is the best team in the world," the coaches said, describing the confidence they seek to instill in their squad.

Kompany has personal experience with a shared coaching arrangement from his return to RSC Anderlecht as a player-manager, where he worked alongside Franky Vercauteren. Speaking before the match, the Bayern coach explained how that experience shaped his understanding of Viking's leadership model.

"I have experienced the whole process: sharing an office, sitting together all day, watching video clips, making decisions, and deciding on training. I am probably one of the few coaches who comes here having experienced that," Kompany said, according to Bild.

He said the arrangement could work like effective collaboration among other members of a coaching staff. Kompany's experience at Anderlecht gave him direct insight into the coordination required when two coaches share responsibility.

"It is nothing different from having a good working relationship with your other staff members," Kompany said.

The Bayern manager also described how shared responsibilities can help a coaching partnership function. He emphasized the importance of cooperation when dividing work and making collective decisions.

"You can tackle these things together and divide the tasks and responsibilities a little," Kompany said.

Despite the potential benefits, Kompany acknowledged that the model requires considerable coordination and effort from both coaches.

"A certain amount of coordination and a lot of work are still required," Kompany said.

Bayern enter the match after dropping points against Augsburg, their second league game without a win after five Bundesliga matchdays, according to 90min.de. The German side will now attempt to secure another Champions League victory against a Norwegian opponent whose shared coaching structure has helped deliver domestic success.