Bayern Munich: Champions League Dark Horses with a Potential Ballon d'Or Winner
A look at why Bayern Munich could be one to keep an eye on in Europe this season...
This season, Bayern Munich look untouchable and a serious threat on the European stage. Yet despite their unbeaten start and tactical dominance under Vincent Kompany, they’re not being spoken about in the same breath as favourites for the UEFA Champions League.
There’s a power shift going on, and with Harry Kane playing like a man possessed, his form might be writing the early pages of a historic Ballon d’Or story.
Vincent Kompany’s Tactical Blueprint Is Transforming Bayern
Kompany has built a system that is working like absolute clockwork. The 4-2-3-1 base formation is nothing more than a starting shape. In reality, Bayern morph in and out of flexible systems mid-match, alternating between a 3-4-3 and even a 3-1-6 depending on the build-up phase and opposition shape.
Joshua Kimmich often drops into the backline to form a three, giving them numerical superiority and control in the first phase with his brilliant range on the ball. Goretzka pushes higher, offering depth and linking play in transitional spaces. The full-backs operate in half-spaces, drawing pressure and creating lanes for the wingers to isolate their markers.
Every pass and movement is calibrated to drag defenders into zones they don’t want to be in.
What Kompany has done is instil purpose behind the rotations. Michael Olise and Luis Diaz offer huge variety from their direct runs in behind or their drops to allow progression from the full-backs. Harry Kane doesn’t just wait in the box, he drops deep, triggers midfield overloads and arrives late, unseen, at the business end. Their movements confuse defenders and generate the type of attacking combinations that are nearly impossible to track.
Against Frankfurt, this rotation birthed a textbook goal: Diaz and Kane swapped, then Kane ghosted in for the finish. The system fits the players, and the players fit the system.
Kane’s Role is Bigger Than Goals – But He’s Scoring Anyway
Harry Kane’s heatmap reveals a player who is redefining the modern striker. He’s not living on the shoulders of centre-backs anymore. He’s involved in every single part of Bayern’s play.
His overperformance on expected goals is absurd. Eleven goals from an xG of 5.89 is more than just a good run of form. It’s what happens when one of the sharpest minds in the game is given a structure to roam and a platform to lead.
Kane looks liberated in Germany. The pressure is different. There’s less scrutiny, more football. And it’s showing. He’s playing like a leader, a facilitator and a finisher. He’s already dragging Bayern towards progression in Europe, and he’s likely to be the figurehead of England’s charge for international silverware next summer.
If England do win the World Cup, or even go the distance, Kane becomes a front-runner for the Ballon d’Or. That possibility is no longer a fantasy, it’s a very real narrative building momentum every week.
Pressing and Counterpressing Like Wolves in a Pack
Bayern’s pressing game under Kompany is also superb. It’s man-oriented, aggressive and bold. Players trust each other in one-on-one duels and commit fully to pressing triggers – a back pass, a poor first touch, a pass to the wrong foot.
They force long balls and then collapse on second balls with ferocity. Their full-backs tuck inside not just for buildup but to offer the kind of rest defence that allows Bayern to win back possession in seconds. It’s a counterpress that exists not only to defend but to attack.
Two goals against Chelsea came directly from this system. Pressure, turnover, execution. The press becomes a chance creation tool.
In that regard, Bayern aren’t just defending transitions, they’re weaponising them.
They lead the Bundesliga in goals, xG, shot conversion, and pressing intensity. That pressing metric – allowing just 10.9 passes before engaging – places them in elite company across Europe.
Bayern Are Underdogs Only on Paper
All the data, all the footage, all the outcomes say the same thing – Bayern Munich are one of the most dangerous sides in Europe this season. But they’re not being mentioned in the same breath as Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal or Real Madrid. Maybe because Kompany is still proving himself in elite circles, or because the Bundesliga still doesn’t command the same narrative spotlight as the Premier League or La Liga.
Whatever the reason, Bayern are in the shadows. And they won’t mind in the slightest.
They don’t come with the inflated budgets of Manchester City or the romanticism of Barcelona. They’re coming with the momentum and ability of the rest of the elite clubs.
If Kane continues to perform like this, with goals, leadership and tactical intelligence, then the Ballon d’Or conversation is already halfway written.
Don’t be surprised if Bayern end up going all the way. Don’t be surprised if Kane lifts it all. Because while the headlines are busy watching others, Bayern are quietly becoming unstoppable.