Michael Olise could have another role to add to his already impressive repertoire at Bayern Munich after Vincent Kompany offered an intriguing explanation of the French winger’s deployment at No. 10 during the 2-1 victory over SV Elversberg.
Olise has established himself as one of Bayern Munich’s most dangerous attacking players, but Kompany has shown that he is willing to give the 24-year-old freedom to operate in different areas of the pitch. Against Elversberg, that freedom included a more central
position.
When asked about Olise’s performance at No. 10 and whether it could become an option going forward, Kompany explained that the role seems to fit Olise.
“Michael has freedom. It’s about having him where he can be most dangerous. The biggest difference in playing at No. 10 is in the defending, because you don’t have full-backs behind — but with the ball, I’m giving Michael a lot of freedom — he can be a threat from both positions. That’s important,” Kompany said (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
That final point could be particularly significant for Bayern Munich. Rather than viewing Olise’s position as rigid, Kompany appears interested in putting him wherever he can cause the most problems for the opposition.
The defensive responsibilities are different when Olise moves centrally, particularly because there is less protection behind him compared with playing on the wing. However, Kompany clearly believes the attacking benefits can outweigh those concerns when Bayern Munich have possession.
For Olise, this flexibility could make him even more difficult to defend. Whether he starts wide or moves into the No. 10 role during matches, his ability to create chances, score goals and exploit space gives Kompany another valuable tactical option.
The Elversberg match may have provided another glimpse of that versatility, and it could become an increasingly important weapon for Bayern Munich throughout the season.
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