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Is Bayern Munich’s Niklas Dorsch the Next Toni Kroos or the Next Schweinsteiger?
- Updated: October 12, 2016
It’s arguable there is no more stable outfield position in Bayern Munich’s team right now than central midfield. The sheer class of the personnel, and the depth of numbers possessed in that area, make it both a comfort and a headache for Carlo Ancelotti when picking his team.
In Xabi Alonso and Thiago Alcantara, you have two pass masters; in Javi Martinez and Arturo Vidal, there are two all-action, stern tacklers; and in Joshua Kimmich and Renato Sanches, the future of German and Portuguese football respectively might just be present.
However, that hasn’t stopped fans hoping for a glimpse of youth prodigy Niklas Dorsch, who whetted fans’ appetites with a few cameo appearances during the International Champions Cup. He contested in the UEFA Youth League last season but has been confined to Bayern II duties this season, with Ancelotti running the rule over him close by.
He was one of several youngsters given the chance to shine during the summer, playing the second half against Inter Milan (alongside German-American Timothy Tillman), and also appeared in what was essentially a pre-pre-season friendly against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in July.
This was the first time the fans had seen him since impressing during the 2015-16 winter break. A disappointing 2-1 loss to Karlsruher SC ahead of the Ruckrunde was only made bearable by Dorsch’s promising showing—one that Jerome Boateng eloquently labelled “good,” per the Bavarian Football Works.
So the players like him, the manager seems to, and the fans are desperate for more. Is Dorsch all he’s cracked up to be, and is he deserving of labels such as the “next Toni Kroos” and “next Bastian Schweinsteiger?”
Summer Hiccups
Sadly, Dorsch did not display his best attributes during his brief glimpses of action with the first team over the summer; Ancelotti will have walked away knowing the 18-year-old had far more to offer.
The game against City was chaotic in midfield to say the least, with Guardiola’s new charges attempting to implement his pressing philosophy and force errors from Bayern. Dorsch fell prey to this a few times, with some of his passing a little loose for comfort, but at least the aggression that underlines his game was still there.
His next performance, against Inter, was …
