Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlovic are regular starters at FC Bayern, but Tom Bischof is applying pressure. New opportunities are opening up for Vincent Kompany.
An exciting competition is shaping up in FC Bayern’s central midfield. However, the focus doesn’t necessarily have to be on who comes out on top in the end—but rather on how Vincent Kompany divides playing time among Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlovic, and Tom Bischof.
Kimmich is currently the anchor of the team. The 31-year-old directs Bayern’s play from the center and is practically a sure starter under Kompany. Pavlovic has also established himself alongside him. Aside from the cup match against VfL Osnabrück, the 22-year-old has been in the starting lineup for every competitive match so far.
Yet the situation heading into the season was intriguing. Bischof was one of the standouts in preseason and put pressure on Pavlovic. The Munich native, however, has so far refused to be displaced and has impressed with strong performances.
Bischof, for his part, showed most recently in the 7-0 win over Union Berlin why he can still play an important role. After coming on as a substitute in the 63rd minute, the 21-year-old set up two goals by Michael Olise.
Kompany has three different combinations at his disposal
This is precisely where Kompany’s real “luxury problem” lies. On paper, there are usually only two spots available in central midfield. Given the enormous workload of the Bundesliga, Champions League, and DFB Cup, however, this is unlikely to result in a permanent decision between Pavlovic and Bischof.
Rather, Kompany can switch between different combinations. Kimmich and Pavlovic are currently the well-established duo. However, Bischof could just as easily start alongside Kimmich and bring a different dynamic to the game with his energy and creativity.
A third option is particularly interesting: Pavlovic and Bischof together. This combination would allow Kompany to give Kimmich targeted rest periods. Especially for the 31-year-old, managing his workload is likely to play an important role as the season progresses.
So far, Bayern has rarely had to do without its midfield anchor. With Bischof continuing to improve, that could change without Kompany having to significantly compromise on quality in the center.
The question, therefore, is not so much: Pavlovic or Bischof? Rather, Kompany must decide which combination is best suited for each match—and how to distribute playing time so that all three get regular minutes.
This division of roles will now become particularly interesting, at least for the time being, with the German national team. Jürgen Klopp, too, must consider how to manage the Bayern trio.
Kimmich is part of the first group of the XXL squad and is explicitly being planned for as a midfielder by Klopp. Pavlovic, on the other hand, will not join the team until the second block of Nations League matches against Serbia and Greece. Bischof will also move up to the senior national team after first captaining the U21 squad.
Klopp and Kompany have even discussed Bischof’s workload directly. “Tom will be with us in the second group. In the first group, he’ll be with the U21s as their captain. That was also agreed upon with Vincent Kompany. He doesn’t play three games every week either, so he’ll play with the U21s first and then join us,” Klopp explained.
This means that after the international break, Kompany may have three central midfielders back who have gained playing experience in very different ways. How he subsequently assigns roles could become one of the most interesting personnel questions in the coming weeks leading up to the Bayern match.