Tom Bischof has proved a reliable stand-in for Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlovic at Bayern Munich this season. Could he become more than that?
Bischof's clever passing and excellent shooting technique were already well known. Now the 21-year-old has shown his fighting spirit on the biggest stage, against Atletico Madrid of all teams. Thomas Müller once described them as "the biggest ruffians in European football".
In Bayern Munich's 2-0 win over Atletico on Tuesday, Bischof was a somewhat surprising starter in place of Aleksandar Pavlovic, who was carrying a slight knock. Alongside Joshua Kimmich, he produced an impressively mature performance.
Assured as ever on the ball, Bischof also saw his blocked long-range shot lead to Lennart Karl's opening goal. His work without the ball stood out. According to statistics website WhoScored , he made six successful tackles, a record for this Champions League season. Several of his ball recoveries launched promising attacks, while he won 78 per cent of his individual duels.
Madrid marked the high point so far in Bischof's remarkable development at Bayern Munich. He has established himself as a reliable alternative to first-choice defensive midfielders Kimmich and Pavlovic, and may now be pushing for a regular starting place in central midfield. The sporting hierarchy around board member for sport Max Eberl took a gamble on him. It is paying off.
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Tom Bischof took over Leon Goretzka's role at Bayern Munich
After joining Bayern Munich from TSG Hoffenheim on a free transfer in 2025, Bischof established himself as a versatile squad player in his first season. He played mainly in defensive roles on the flanks rather than in his preferred position in central midfield. Of his 1,655 minutes on the pitch, only 271 came in the middle, where Leon Goretzka was the first-choice stand-in for Kimmich and Pavlovic.
Goretzka left Bayern Munich on a free transfer in the summer. Some called for an external replacement, but the club's bosses put their faith in Bischof and gave him Goretzka's number 8 shirt as a small symbol of his status. "We have great hopes for him and great faith in him. I'm convinced he is ready for it and will really grow into the role," said sporting director Christoph Freund. "Tom is ready to take the next step at Bayern Munich."
With former Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann leaving him out of the World Cup squad, Bischof was the only established, fit first-team player at the official start of training. His preparations went well, and he emerged as one of the main beneficiaries.
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Unlike last season, Bischof has played exclusively in central midfield since the summer, starting there in seven of Bayern Munich's 15 competitive matches so far. With Kimmich and Pavlovic unavailable at times, his playing time has risen sharply of late. He has started four of the past five matches.
Two weeks ago, Bischof had already shown he could perform at the highest level in the Champions League during the 2-2 draw against last year's finalists Arsenal. He started in place of Kimmich, who was absent because of his father's death. Alongside Pavlovic, Bischof was less conspicuous than he would be against Atletico, but the pair still made headlines.
Steven Gerrard, one of the best midfielders of this millennium, praised them in his role as a television pundit: "The two of them really impressed me tonight. They played outstandingly in a match of this importance."
Kimmich, Pavlovic and Bischof also compete in the Germany team
Given the congested fixture schedule, Kimmich, Pavlovic and Bischof will all get plenty more minutes this season. Who gets the nod in the next big matches remains to be seen. Pavlovic is still carrying a slight knock. According to interim head coach Aaron Danks, they will have to "take it day by day" with him, so Kimmich and Bischof may start together again against FSV Mainz 05 on Saturday (3.30pm).
The trio's competition continues in a different shirt. All three are in the Germany national squad and are competing for playing time there too. During the last international break, captain Kimmich initially disappointed before Pavlovic and Bischof excelled following the planned squad change. Unlike at Bayern Munich, they could theoretically play together in Jürgen Klopp's 4-3-3 system, but that would leave no room for Florian Wirtz and Felix Nmecha.