To kick off the new Bundesliga season, FC Bayern defeated VfB Stuttgart 5–1, dominating the match for long stretches and dictating the pace of play. It may come as a surprise that Harry Kane failed to score despite Bayern netting five goals.
Especially since the English forward also failed to score in the Super Cup against BVB. Is Kane perhaps going through a mini-slump? Is he still feeling the aftereffects of the World Cup? One might think so if you hadn’t seen the games
But keeping an eye on Kane in these two matches was well worth it, as the English superstar—who has a good chance of winning the Ballon d’Or—showed once again why he’s valuable for more than just his goal-scoring ability.
Kane against Stuttgart: Often the playmaker
Even last season, Kane was involved defensively in many matches, working hard off the ball, and thanks to his deeper positioning, he was able to exert a massive influence on the game by playing brilliant passes with his brilliant technique. This allowed him to set up the fast offensive players, yet he still found himself in scoring positions often enough—otherwise, he wouldn’t have scored 61 goals in competitive matches.
Kane also often dropped deeper against VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga season opener. On paper, he was of course lined up as a center forward again, but he was frequently found in midfield alongside Joshua Kimmich. And there, he showcased exactly what makes him special. Particularly impressive was his through ball into the run of Luis Diaz midway through the first half. Although the Colombian failed to beat Fabian Bredlow in a one-on-one situation, VfB still had no chance of stopping the attack.
What’s impressive about Kane is that he doesn’t always switch up his play this way—he does it precisely when it’s necessary. For example, when his team isn’t fully dominating or when their build-up play is being severely disrupted.
Kane was decisive against VfB even without scoring a goal
In the match against VfB Stuttgart, it was once again the case that his deeper positioning was worth its weight in gold. This was evident not only because of the chance he set up for Diaz. Stuttgart played aggressive man-to-man defense, especially early on. As a result, Bayern had to resort to a few long balls during their build-up, but when Kane dropped deep, Stuttgart’s defense was well-spaced.
The more often Kane dropped deep, the more often he drew his marker with him. And that caused the Stuttgart defense to shift its alignment, giving players like Diaz or Michael Olise the opportunity to break through and play at their own pace. On top of that, Kane is so adept at handling pressure that he doesn’t mind it, not even with his back to the goal.
The Englishman thus acted as a clever, additional playmaker, drawing a defender into unfamiliar areas while simultaneously setting up his teammates. In doing so, Kane once again demonstrated the quality he possesses and that, despite his many goals, he shouldn’t be judged solely on that metric.