In the first of his regular columns with The Athletic, the World Cup-winning former Bayern Munich captain assesses Kompany's progress so far

Bayern Munich rallied from a goal down to beat VfB Stuttgart 3-1 on Friday and consolidate their position at the top of the Bundesliga, with coach Vincent Kompany praising his side's resilience, saying it was "a real German top match".

Kompany is a big fan of the 22-year-old international, having previously worked with him at Anderlecht. He attempted to sign Verbruggen during his tenure at Burnley, but the Seagulls swooped in with a successful £16.5million bid and the promise of Premier League football.

Bayern Munich is one of 32 teams set to compete in the FIFA Club World Cup this summer, a revamp ed edition of the tournament. The 32-team competition will occu

Jamie Carragher has provoked more anger this week following his comments on AFCON and seen former tennis star Boris Becker claim that he is ill-informed on Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich has come from behind to beat a spirited Stuttgart 3-1 and extend its lead at the top of the Bundesliga to 11 points.

Bayern Munich are looking to sign Brighton's Bart Verbruggen as they identify the Dutch goalkeeper as Manuel Neuer's long-term replacement.