Michael Olise and Harry Kane Shine at Allianz Arena
Michael Olise lit up the Allianz Arena. Harry Kane finished the job.
Between them, they ripped apart an overwhelmed Berlin side and, in the process, underlined why both Bayern Munich forwards are not just on the 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist, but firmly in the conversation to walk away with the Golden Ball in London on 26 October.
Olise scored the first hat-trick of his professional career. Kane helped himself to two more. Bayern did not just win; they staged a showcase.
Olise’s coming-out night
From the first whistle, Olise played as if the stage belonged to him.
He drifted into pockets, demanded the ball, and punished every lapse. The hat-trick was the headline, but it barely covered the extent of his influence. For 90 minutes, he was the outstanding player on the pitch, a fact reflected in his top SPOX rating of 1.
Jamal Musiala, who had opened the scoring a little after the quarter-hour mark, could only shake his head in admiration when speaking to Sky. The Frenchman’s level, he said, was simply “outstanding”.
Vincent Kompany, watching from the touchline, knew this did not happen by accident. The Bayern coach pointed to the hours put in away from the cameras.
“Michael scores these goals, but he has also worked a lot on these finishes in training. Even the top players need more than just talent,” Kompany noted, underlining the graft behind the glamour.
Next for Olise is a different kind of pressure. He has been named in new France coach Zinedine Zidane’s first squad, joining Bayern team-mate Dayot Upamecano. A Ballon d’Or push, a starring role at Bayern, and now a call from Zidane: his trajectory is unmistakable.
Eberl: “He belongs among the best”
Olise’s performance inevitably dragged the Ballon d’Or debate back to Munich.
Asked about the 22-year-old’s chances, Bayern sporting director Max Eberl initially tried to play it down, calling it “difficult” and “a subjective assessment”. But his conclusion was anything but lukewarm.
“One thing is clear,” Eberl said. “He definitely belongs in the circle of (possible) Ballon d’Or winners too.” Kane, in his eyes, was already a major contender. “But Michael is also working his way into that group with the way he plays football. So for me he definitely belongs among the best footballers in the world.”
While clubs and stars across Europe have already begun their campaigns ahead of the gala at the Palladium Theatre in London, Eberl made his own stance on lobbying plain.
“There has to be campaigning,” he admitted, before drawing a sharp line. “The best players are the ones who do not need campaigning.”
Yamal’s jab and Kane’s answer
The Ballon d’Or race has already produced its first flashpoint.
Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, a world champion and one of the award’s other leading contenders, made waves in Spain when he spoke to Movistar Plus. His comments were widely read as a pointed remark at Golden Shoe winner Kane, who finished the season with 73 goals.
“The Ballon d’Or should go to the best player in the world, full stop. It should not go to a player who has scored 80 goals,” Yamal said.
He later clarified his view.
“If you score 80 goals, you get the season's top-scorer award. Those are very different things that people do not understand. The best player in the world is the one where, as a commentator, you watch a game and enjoy watching him. He is a player who is different from everyone else.”
The numbers-versus-art debate is as old as the award itself. This time, Kane is at the centre of it.
Asked about Yamal’s comments, the England captain refused to bite.
“You do not know exactly how he meant it. People have their own assumptions about it. Ultimately, everyone is different,” Kane said. “Yamal is an incredible player and had a great season, but so did many others. There are so many players who have had a great season behind them. I think that is why there may be even more discussion about it this year than usual, because there are so many candidates.”
He kept the focus on his own work.
“Everyone has the right to speak however they want. You know me, I prefer to let my performances on the pitch do the talking for me. I answer on the pitch. I do not like talking a lot about myself, but everyone is different. There is no right or wrong. Others have to judge that. It is not in my hands, but in the hands of the voters.”
Instead of trading barbs, Kane pointed to the body of work he has just put together.
“I am extremely proud of what I achieved last year – not just the goals, but also the titles won, the cup final and the return of the Meisterschale to Munich. All these things – including some of the World Cup matches – will stay with me for the rest of my life. So overall it was simply a fantastic season,” he said.
Two Bayern forwards, one Golden Ball?
While the Ballon d’Or noise grows louder, Bayern’s front line keeps providing the loudest argument of all: performances.
Kane’s goals, trophies and consistency make his case obvious. Olise, with nights like this at the Allianz Arena and a France debut under Zidane on the horizon, is rapidly forcing his way into the same frame.
Campaigns will roll on, soundbites will fly, and every touch from Yamal, Kane and Olise will be scrutinised through the Ballon d’Or lens.
But if Bayern’s two forwards keep deciding games like this, the real question may not be whether one of them wins it – but which one.
