Vincent Kompany said Bayern Munich's DFB-Pokal quarter-final with RB Leipzig was a "must-win" game if they are to maintain their push to compete on all fronts this season.
Bayern welcome Leipzig to Allianz Arena on Wednesday as they aim to win the competition for the first time since 2019-20, when they beat Bayer Leverkusen in the final.
The Bundesliga giants have recently been eliminated from the DFB-Pokal in two consecutive home matches for the first time in the club's trophy-laden history.
In the 18 home matches before this, Bayern had only been eliminated twice in total, and they will face a stern test against a side who sit fourth in the Bundesliga this season.
Leipzig, however, lost both league meetings with Bayern this season, with their 6-0 defeat away from home on MD1 their heaviest ever loss in their top-flight history.
Bayern have also won both of their DFB-Pokal ties, most recently a 3-0 victory in the 2018-19 final, but Kompany acknowledged that it would be a difficult game for his players.
"Both teams know each other very well. They have the wingers and the front three who score a lot of goals and have a lot of creativity," Kompany told reporters.
"They're a team who are strong in attack. We've always shown what we're capable of against Leipzig. It's a home game, a must-win game.
"We want to deliver what we're capable of. We also have the wingers and incredibly strong players in the middle. If we get the balance right, it could be a very good match for us."
𝗡𝗘𝗫𝗧 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛: The DFB Cup quarter-final!
— FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) February 9, 2026
On Wednesday, we host RB Leipzig at 𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘 pic.twitter.com/oU1YXVIoGP
Bayern come into the game fresh from their 5-1 thrashing of Hoffenheim at the weekend, a result that ensured they stayed six points above Borussia Dortmund at the top.
Harry Kane scored twice for Kompany's side, but the day belonged to Luis Diaz, who netted a hat-trick as his impressive start to life in Germany continued.
Indeed, the Colombian international now has 29 goal involvements (18 goals, 11 assists) in all competitions this season, a total only bettered by Michael Olise (33) and Kane (43) among Bundesliga players.
"He got a break in December, which was important for him at that moment. But then we had seven games in 20 days again in January," Kompany added.
"He has tremendous energy; Lucho is a machine. Sometimes there are moments when it's difficult, but he shows exactly the same energy in training on Mondays.
"That has helped us a lot this season. These guys have played a lot of minutes."
Bayern are still in with a chance of winning three trophies this year, with the club also already qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League.
But when asked where the DFB-Pokal ranked in terms of his ambitions this season, Kompany said: "We have to be prepared for everything.
"In the cup, you don't win every match 4-0 or 5-0 – something always happens. It's difficult to categorise.
"Today, it feels like the most important competition. On Thursday, the Bundesliga will be the most important again, and then, eventually, it'll be the Champions League again.
"My job isn't to create a ranking. We want to show who Bayern Munich are. We are where we want to be now, and we want to still have that feeling on Thursday."