Müller sidesteps question over his favourite striker

For a player with Thomas Müller’s longevity, it is only normal to have played alongside many great players, several of them top strikers. In addition to Harry Kane who is currently his teammate, Müller has had the good fortune of playing with Mario Gómez, Luca Toni, Miroslav Klose, and Robert Lewandowski. Having been around so many goalscoring geniuses, and being a prolific scorer himself, Müller was quick to acknowledge that the England captain is on an elite level. He said in an interview for Bundesliga.com, “He’s a goalscorer, and there are not many who can match his numbers. It’s not a coincidence, rather it’s because he has the ability to put himself in the right positions and find the back of the net.”
To be sure the former World Cup winner wasn’t just saying this to praise his teammate, he went on to explain the qualities that set Kane apart as a striker. He continued, “Harry is a brutal finisher. He’s two-footed, and his shots are just so powerful. His attempts are good from a technique point of view, but also from a tactical one — he knows where to place them and which type of shot to fire off. He doesn’t just smash it, but instead places the ball with precision and speed into the corners that goalkeepers just can’t save. He obviously knows how to get goals, so it doesn’t seem unbelievable to me but, at the same time, it’s great to see how regularly he can rely on his finishing qualities.”
What followed is a question on who Müller considers the best among his present and former teammates, especially against the backdrop of Bayen’s upcoming Champions League reunion with Barcelona, with Robert Lewandowski now on the other side. Müller gave a comprehensive answer but refused to point name any name. He gave his reason. He explained, “It’s not about being the best. I was asked many times in my career about my favourite pizza or my favourite food — that’s all nonsense. You can ask which striker fits with the teammates. What’s the best fit for this particular opponent? But the best overall? It doesn’t work like that. When you compare top strikers, everyone is a bit different. One may be a better dribbler, another may have more pace. There are surely players who are better in those aspects than Harry, but in terms of finishing — with both feet and his head — there’s no one better. He is at the very top. Otherwise, though, there are a lot of brilliant strikers who bring other qualities. That’s just how it is.”
Bayern travel to Barcelona tomorrow for a historic Champions League showdown. The two teams have a deep-seated rivalry but have also exchanged players and personnel over the years. Current Barca coach Hansi Flick managed Bayern before his sojourn to Spain, while Lewandowski led the Bayern attack for many years.