On the rise: Tom Bischof's early season from proves that he can be a key man for Bayern Munich and Germany
Tom Bischof scored Germany’s first goal in their 2-0 win over Serbia on Thursday night, with his close range finish the highlight of a superb individual performance from midfield.
In just his second appearance for the national team, the 21-year-old looked at home in the heart of Germany’s midfield, providing a constant threat going forward and displaying his excellent range of passing.
While Bischof’s taste for a strike from long-range strike was also on show, he didn’t manage to find the back of the net with one this time, rather smashing home from inside the six-yard area after a Florian Wirtz effort had hit the post.
Seven of his eight Bundesliga goals have come from outside of the box, making his first ever senior international goal special for more than one reason.
Bischof’s starting spot alongside Aleksandar Pavlović came as a result of his impressive start to the season with Bayern Munich. All of his four Bundesliga appearances have come in midfield, which is an indication of his growing presence in the position, given that last season he was often asked to fill in at full-back for Vincent Kompany's side.
In the win over Serbia, Bischof took more shots than any other Germany player (four), assisted the most shots (three), won 67 per cent of his duels and also notched an important first goal.
Watch: The Bischof Show
At club level, he recorded two assists in Bayern’s 7-0 thumping of Union Berlin on Matchday 4, adding a cutting edge to his superb passing range. He has a pass completion rate of 92.7 per cent so far and has come out on top in 57 per cent of his duels, evidencing his ability dominate the midfield on and off the ball.
"It's an indescribable feeling," the former Hoffenheim man said after his dazzling display against Serbia. "The stadium was on fire today. It was just a lot of fun. We were fully focused and could have scored a couple more goals."
“That would have made things a bit easier for us, but I think we created a lot of chances and played a good game," he continued. "I was incredibly happy with my goal, but my knees hurt from the slide."
With the German national team entering a new era under Klopp, Bischof could very well be a key part of their midfield for years to come if he continues such form under him.
At club level, he has proven both his versatility and quality whenever called upon, and with Bayern looking to compete on all fronts once again we’ll likely see much more of him in their quest for silverware.
