Joshua Kimmich has seen almost everything during his long career at Bayern Munich. Now entering his 12th season with the German champions, the experienced midfielder is hardly the type to get carried away by a Supercup victory.
But even Kimmich can still be surprised.
Bayern’s 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the German Supercup offered plenty to discuss, but perhaps the biggest talking point was the performance and versatility of new signing Nathaniel Brown.
The €50 million arrival was handed an unexpected role against Bayern’s biggest rivals, starting as a No. 10 rather than in his more familiar left-back position. For those who had followed Bayern’s preseason closely, however, the decision did not come completely out of the blue.
Brown had already shown his ability to operate in different areas of the pitch during preseason. Against Aston Villa in Hong Kong, he started at left-back before moving into an attacking midfield role in the second half. A similar situation occurred against Heidenheim, when he moved forward after initially playing on the left side of defence.
That versatility appears to be one of the main reasons Bayern were so keen to bring him in.
Kimmich believes Brown has a profile that reminds him of former Bayern player Raphael Guerreiro, although the two are very different types of footballers.
“He’s definitely someone who’s a bit different,” Kimmich said, while explaining that Brown can operate at left-back, right-back, as a No. 10 or even on the wings.
His pace and technical ability are obvious strengths, but it was Brown’s intelligence and movement that really stood out in Dortmund.
The 23-year-old also showed that he can provide a serious attacking threat.
In the 28th minute, Brown reacted quickly when the ball fell into his path after an exchange involving Michael Olise. Without hesitation, he produced a clever left-footed finish across his body, catching Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel by surprise.
It was Brown’s third goal in three consecutive matches.
After scoring against RB Leipzig in a preseason friendly and finding the net again against Heidenheim, he continued his impressive run against Dortmund when Bayern needed him most.
Sporting director Max Eberl was quick to praise the new arrival but also made it clear that Bayern did not sign Brown specifically to play in midfield.
“We didn’t sign him as our number ten,” Eberl explained. “But we knew he could play in many positions.”
That flexibility could become particularly valuable for Vincent Kompany as the season progresses.
Brown’s movement against Dortmund was one of the most impressive aspects of his performance. When Harry Kane dropped deeper to receive possession, Brown frequently moved towards the flank to create space. When Bayern transitioned quickly into attack, he was often one of the first players pushing forward.
His involvement helped create Bayern’s opening goal and he also played a role in the sequence that eventually led to Olise’s second goal after Dortmund midfielder Jobe Bellingham was pressured into making an error.
It was a performance that suggested Brown could become much more than a conventional left-back.
Brown Could Get Another Chance in Attack
Bayern’s injury situation could also give Brown another opportunity to continue his experiment in the No. 10 role.
With Jamal Musiala potentially unavailable alongside Serge Gnabry and Lennart Karl, while new signing Ismael Saibari continues his recovery from the muscle injury he suffered at the World Cup, Bayern may once again need someone capable of filling the attacking midfield position.
Brown has already shown that he is comfortable taking on the responsibility.
Eberl described Kompany’s decision to use him centrally against Dortmund as a “clever solution”, and there is a chance Bayern could return to the same idea when they open their Bundesliga campaign against Stuttgart.
For now, Brown appears to be giving Kompany exactly what every coach wants from a new signing: versatility, intelligence, energy and goals.
Kimmich may have entered his 12th season at Bayern thinking he had seen almost everything, but Brown is providing an early reminder that there are still new surprises waiting at the Allianz Arena.
