Germany head coach Jurgen Klopp questioned Vincent Kompany's use of Harry Kane as he reopened his feud with the Bayern Munich boss during Bayern's 2-2 draw with Arsenal.
Speaking at half-time to DAZN, Klopp admitted confusion over Bayern's approach without the ball. "To this day, I haven't fully understood what Bayern does against the ball," he said.
Klopp's Tactical Criticism
On Bayern's defending for Arsenal's first goal, scored by Eberechi Eze, Klopp said: "Someone plays him onside, but there's no pressure on the ball beforehand. And that's what I'm missing."
When it was put to him that Kane was "everywhere" during the game, Klopp was not convinced. "I think that's absolutely fine with the ball. But without the ball? When I see Harry Kane standing in the last line, not in the deep block, but in the midfield press… And again, I'm no football guru. Everyone is free to do what they want. But I haven't quite figured it all out yet either," he said.
Kompany's Response
When Klopp's comments were put to Kompany after the game, the former Burnley boss replied tersely: "I'm not answering that. Next question."
This was not the first time a Kompany decision had been questioned by Klopp. Before the start of the season, Klopp admitted he was not happy at seeing Bayern's Nathaniel Brown not playing at left-back. He said: "For once I have a good left-back, and now Kompany goes and plays him as a number 10!"
Going back further, Klopp once said Kompany should have been sent off for a challenge on Mohamed Salah during a match between Liverpool and Manchester City in 2019. He said: "I really like Vincent Kompany but how on Earth is that not a red card? He is last man and he goes in. If he hits Mo more, he is out for the season."
Impact on Germany Squad Relations
Klopp's latest comments about Kompany may sour an important relationship, given how many Bayern players traditionally feature in Germany squads. Klopp named an expanded 44-man group for the first round of Nations League matches, which included nine players from the country's biggest club.
Despite Klopp's comments, Kane, who scored Bayern's second goal from the penalty spot, was happy with the performance. He said: "I thought we had a good performance. Especially at the start of the second half, we got the goal and had the chance to kill the game off with another goal. Towards the end of the game, we found ourselves in a low block and struggled to get the ball out. Overall, we could've been more efficient, but I thought the draw was a fair result. We take the point and move on."
