Curious case of João Palhinha at Bayern Munich

Fast development of Alexandar Pavlović

With Kompany fully committed to dominating possession, there is a greater need for guile and orchestration in midfield than there is for a shield in front of the back four. With that being the case, 20-year-old Alexandar Pavlović ticks more boxes than Palhinha in terms of who should start alongside Joshua Kimmich in the engine room.

Pavlović was Bayern’s find of last season. He has further improved this season. Based on current form, it’s hard for Kompany to decide against him being in the starting XI. Although the young German international is not the enforcer-type player that the more defensively-minded Palhinha is, he excels in a deep-lying playmaker role and covers ground well in support of the pressing tactics despite not possessing great pace. Bayern’s opponents have preferred to sit deep this season and play on the counter-attack. As long as that trend continues, despite the recent blips against Aston Villa and Eintracht Frankfurt, there would be little reason for Kompany to restructure his midfield formation.

Having identified the obstacles in the path of João Palhinha, we now shift focus to where the opportunities may lie ahead for him.