Champions League
Tuchel solves the Kane puzzle: “Harry needs to be fed”
Wants Harry Kane to bring in more against Lazio Rome: Munich coach Thomas Tuchel. photo
© Sven Hoppe/dpa
In the top game in Leverkusen, Bayern striker Kane was practically invisible. Things should be different again against Lazio Rome. Coach Tuchel and goalkeeper Neuer know the solution.
After all, at the weekend after FC Bayern Munich’s disastrous 3-0 defeat in the top Bundesliga game against Bayer Leverkusen, Tuchel was still wondering why he had not been able to put the goalscorer in the offensive spotlight in the 3-0 defeat. Kane only had 18 ball contacts in 90 minutes, fewer than goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. 100 million man Kane, who scored 28 goals in 28 competitive games for the German record champions, was almost invisible last Saturday in the BayArena and completely ineffective.
Few ball contacts
“It wasn’t often that he had so few contacts with the ball,” said Tuchel and explained: “It’s a great strength of his to drop into midfield, create the advantage and become dangerous from there. With assists and with passes, which then lead to scoring chances, in which he might end up at the bottom of the food chain in order to exploit them.”
The teammates in Leverkusen would not have been able to find the English international striker, who absolutely wants to play in the premier class final in his hometown of London, in the center of the attack. “We played far too little steeply and far too little diagonally,” criticized Tuchel: “Our game was very often in completely safe spaces.” Things should be different again against Lazio, said Tuchel: “We definitely want to bring Harry in more and start again.”
Neuer protects Kane
As goalkeeper, captain Manuel Neuer also had a good view from behind of the sluggish and unfocused offensive game. “We didn’t behave smartly on the pitch, the positioning didn’t happen that way,” said Neuer. He defended Kane: “It’s not that easy for Harry either, he has to be fed by us too. If Harry is fed, if he is put in a danger zone with the ball, then he is a phenomenon.”
Neuer’s conclusion for the Champions League task at the Stadio Olimpico was: “We have to make sure that Harry gets into the danger zone with the ball. Then it will be successful for us.” Kane scored four times for Bayern in the group stage.