Harry Kane has set the Bundesliga alight, this season. 24 league goals in 20 games is an earth shattering level of consistency for a striker, these days. But it’s not been enough to propel his Bayern Munich side to the top of the table. Another former premier league icon has stood in his way. Former Liverpool midfield maestro, Xabi Alonso, has guided Leverkusen to the top of the Bundesliga. In his first full season, he’s overseen an unbeaten run of 16 wins and 4 draws.
Last time out between these two sides, it was on as even. Kane nabbed the opening goal. Leverkusen stole a late equaliser at the death. And Bayern were left reeling, after thinking they were the right on time themselves with an 86th minute Goretzka goal.
It took Kane longer than usual to get on the scoresheet, in Bayern’s latest Bundesliga match against Monchengladbach. Nonetheless, in the 70th minute, the time came. A header dispatched with effortless simplicity. A simplicity which belies Kane’s mercurial movements in the penalty box, which make sure he’s at the right place, at the right time.
Even in an imperfect Munich side, that is still a trait which will frequently lend itself to being rewarded with goals aplenty. Even more so, than his time at Spurs. And it doesn’t take the sharpest minds in the game to deep-dive into the reasons why Kane has hogged the back-pages of the German papers with greater regularity than before in Britain.
But Alonso will be hoping to prevent Kane from adding to his column inches. Tah, Wirtz and Xhaka will all be at the beck and call of Alonso’s instructions. Each providing a level of stability, creativity and tenacity, respectively.
But the main areas of playing personnel for Alonso, who may provide him
with a favourable answer to the titular question of this article, are less obvious. Nathan Tella capitalised on his opportunity to impress with a brace against Darmstadt. It’s still unlikely to dislodge the reliable ever-present, Jeremy Frimprong in the team. But whether Alonso calls on him could be crucial.
The air of importance is enhanced by competing and potentially conflicting, in-play decisions up front, more centrally. With Boniface injured, Patrick Schick should be the understudy, in favour of Borja Iglesias, who has only been at the club for 5 minutes.
But this could turn into blackjack: stick or twist conundrum. Do you stick with the safe option of looking for a goal through a like-for-like change with Schick off for the newbie? Or do you twist with the radical option of looking for a goal through bringing of the defensively sound, Frimpong for the more attack-minded Tella? Time will tell, which is the right call. Or will it be, time will Tella …
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