Jonathan Tah had a rough night in Stavanger. At the same time, competition is heating up in Bayern’s center of defense.
A new battle for playing time could be brewing in Bayern’s central defense. In recent months, Jonathan Tah had been considered a clear starter alongside Dayot Upamecano. However, following his lackluster performance in the 3-3 draw against Viking Stavanger, the question arises as to whether this hierarchy will hold up in the long run.
Tah had a rough night in Norway. Early in the game, with the score 0-1, the national team player lost a crucial header duel; even afterward, he didn’t always look confident on the unfamiliar artificial turf. Vincent Kompany reacted at halftime and took the 30-year-old off the field.
For Tah, this was an unusual move. Upamecano, on the other hand, came into the game after the break and immediately stabilized Bayern’s defense. The fact that the Frenchman is currently one of the most important defenders on the roster is hardly disputed anyway. What’s more interesting, therefore, is the question of who can establish themselves alongside him in the long term.
Kim has significantly improved his position
Minjae Kim, in particular, could benefit from Tah’s current slump. The South Korean faced an uncertain future this past summer and was even considered a potential transfer target at times. Since then, however, his standing at FC Bayern has improved significantly.
Kim has recently shown greater consistency and has once again been getting regular playing time from Kompany. As early as the Bundesliga opener against VfB Stuttgart, the Bayern coach had benched Tah and instead relied on Kim and Upamecano. Now, there is even talk again of a long-term future for Kim at FC Bayern.
Kim also started the match in Stavanger. Although the 29-year-old wasn’t flawless, he remained on the field after halftime—unlike Tah. This gives Kompany an increasing opportunity to reshuffle the roles in the center of the defense.
Then there’s Josip Stanisic. The Croatian is often deployed as a fullback but can also play in the center without any trouble. It is precisely his versatility that makes him particularly valuable to Kompany. Should Tah continue to struggle, deploying Stanisic in central defense would therefore be a realistic alternative.
It would be far too early to speak of a fundamental changing of the guard. Tah continues to hold a high standing under Kompany and was a fixture in the lineup for a long time. However, his lead over his competitors has apparently narrowed.
With Kim in better form and Stanisic as an additional option, Kompany has several choices at his disposal. For Tah, this means he can afford far fewer lackluster performances now than he could a few months ago.