One is the second best goalscorer in Premier League history, the other is the current leader in the Bundesliga top scorers list: Harry Kane and Victor Boniface in comparison.
The eyes are on them: Harry Kane (left) and Victor Boniface. IMAGO/Sven Simon
Spectacle is the order of the day. When FC Bayern hosts league leaders Bayer 04 on Friday evening (8:30 p.m., LIVE! on kicker), the two most offensive teams in the league will meet. The guests have so far created 31 chances to score, Munich 26. These are the top values in the league after the third matchday as well as in the area of shots on goal: Here it is currently 69:60 for the record champions.
The summit will also be a top game. Ballermann Victor Boniface fired 21 of Leverkusen’s attempts. This is by far the best in the league, ahead of Harry Kane, who “only” managed 14 shots.
The Nigerian, who came from Union Saint-Gilloise of the Belgian Jupiler Pro League for 16 million euros, is the more active center forward, but when it comes to efficiency, Boniface and the England international are not taking anything away: they have each needed five shots on goal per goal so far this season.
Both goal scorers have a wide repertoire of ways to score their goals. Boniface has already scored with his right (2), his left and his head this season. The 30-year-old Kane can rely on this range as well as scoring goals outside the penalty area.
While Boniface is dangerous from a distance due to his shooting power, Kane is more dangerous with eye, precision and experience, as his goal to make it 2-0 in the 4-0 win in Bremen showed: perfect first contact, quick orientation and well-considered finishing – everything as if from a single source.
Big difference in dribbling
Clear differences can be seen in the way they play. Kane almost completely foregoes dribbling as a stylistic device. He only starts a solo every 87 minutes. Boniface, on the other hand, tries every 18 minutes, almost five times as often. While the newly minted Nigerian international scores with his high dynamism – his top speed is 32.21 km/h, Kane’s only 30.94 – the Brit, who came from Tottenham Hotspur for more than 100 million euros, is more likely to sneak his goal in classic goalscoring style.
The result of both attackers is similar: Boniface scored four times, Kane three times. Their xGoals value, i.e. the probability of scoring from their previous chances, is virtually identical at 2.77 for Boniface and 2.72 for Kane. There are many paths to Rome and to scoring goals.
The different playing styles of the two strikers are also reflected in how closely they are involved in their teams’ play. Kane, whose integration into the processes has not yet been completed, only has 33 ball contacts, while Boniface has 49 ball contacts per 90 minutes of playing time.
In addition to their finishing qualities, both also have considerable value for team play. The Leverkusen attacker not only serves as a pressure release valve for the Werkself’s build-up game when the opponent is pressing hard. If things get too difficult for Hradecky, Tah and Co. in the opening game, the Sturmtank acts as a target player for a long ball, with which Bayer then overplays the pressing. With his massive body (1.89 meters, 85 kilograms), Boniface usually manages to secure the ball.
For Boniface, the top game will be a real endurance test
Kane gives Bayern structure again as a target player who was missing for a season after Robert Lewandowski’s departure to Barcelona. His appearance, his humble demeanor, his professionalism, his experience and his international reputation automatically trigger respect. Kane, who has tremendous charisma, is already considered a leading figure in the Bayern dressing room. While the influence of the reserved 22-year-old Boniface is limited purely to the sporting component, his hunger for success influences his teammates at Bayer 04.
Both attackers also have the qualities of team players: Kane works diligently on defense. The same applies to Boniface, who, together with his strike partners, Florian Wirtz and Jonas Hofmann, are the first builders of defensive stability. “With our three strikers we have extremely important players who know how to press. That makes it much easier for the midfield and defense players,” explains six-man Granit conceded the game.
Two strikers with two different profiles. Two strikers who will perceive the summit meeting completely differently. Kane should remain cool due to his tremendous routine and experience from numerous top games at the highest level. With the certainty that you can decide such a game with just a few actions.
For Boniface, however, the game will be the first real endurance test. While he has so far seemingly effortlessly pushed opposing defenders aside, it now remains to be seen how he can assert himself against defender Dayot Upamecano, who has similar wardrobe dimensions to Boniface. Conversely, the Munich team should also offer him more space behind the chain, which Bayer’s number 22 has hardly found so far.
Bayern against Bayer. Second against first. Kane vs. Boniface. Record purchase against shooting star. Dinner is served. Let the spectacle begin.
2023-09-15 10:44:41
#Kane #Boniface #Schleicher #meets #Ballermann
