Harry Kane has long since been responsible for more than just scoring goals at FC Bayern. Under Vincent Kompany, the English national team player takes on numerous roles, regularly drops back into midfield, and plays an active part in building up play. In the 2-2 draw against Arsenal, however, the Bayern coach took it a step further. As BILD’s soccer editor Christian Falk now reveals, Kane was even supposed to replace Joshua Kimmich at times.

Even during the Champions League showdown, it was noticeable that the 33-year-old was dropping deep into his own half with unusual frequency. At times, Kane organized Munich’s build-up play from positions normally occupied by central midfielders.

The Englishman’s unusual role even surprised German national team coach Jürgen Klopp. The former Liverpool coach had publicly admitted during the match on DAZN that he couldn’t fully understand Bayern’s tactical approach.

Now there’s an explanation for why Kane appeared in midfield so frequently against the Londoners.

Kompany made Kane Kimmich’s replacement

On the BILD podcast “Bayern Insider,” Falk reports that Kompany’s tactical approach was a deliberate response to Joshua Kimmich’s last-minute absence.

The German national team player was unavailable due to a bereavement in his immediate family. As a result, the Munich side lacked a key playmaker in their build-up play. “Kompany had come up with a plan. Harry Kane was supposed to play the defensive midfielder role from time to time, specifically in the build-up,” said Falk.

Accordingly, Kane was to take on tasks normally handled by Kimmich. Kompany specifically wanted to capitalize on Kane’s ability to launch dangerous attacks with precise passes from deep. “Kimmich is out, so Kane makes those passes and gets deep,” Falk said.

“I’ve never seen him play so deep before.”

The BILD soccer editor was impressed by how consistently Kane implemented the tactical instructions. “Well, he’s often deep, but I’ve never seen him play so deep as he did in this game,” Falk emphasized.

One play in particular stuck with the journalist. Kane took a quick goal kick, catching the London defense off guard. Serge Gnabry, however, was unable to capitalize on the resulting opportunity.

Kane’s versatility has long since become a key tactical asset for FC Bayern. The Englishman can not only score goals himself but also initiate attacks from deeper positions and set up his teammates.

Against Arsenal, he once again demonstrated these skills. In addition to his unusual role in building up play, Kane was directly involved in both of Bayern’s goals with a goal and an assist.

Nevertheless, the match against the Gunners made it clear just how important Joshua Kimmich is to Munich’s style of play. Kompany’s tactical move, however, shows how flexibly the Bayern coach can adapt to player absences—and, above all, what extraordinary possibilities Harry Kane now offers him.

This article was translated into English by AI. You can read the original version here https://fcbinside.de/2026/10/23/kane-als-sechser-kompanys-ueberraschender-arsenal-plan-enthuellt/.