Who is currently the best striker in the world: Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, or Kylian Mbappé? For former German international Markus Babbel, the answer is clear: Harry Kane.
The former Bayern Munich and Stuttgart player heaps praise on the Englishman in his latest kicker column. "Which of this trio – Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé – would I not have wanted to defend against as a defender? Clear answer: Kane!" writes Babbel.
The 53-year-old explains his choice: "He's the hardest to mark. He's neither exceptionally fast nor does he have extraordinary physique, and he doesn't stand out in the air either. But he has incredible game intelligence, which allows him to evade his opponents."
In modern football, according to Babbel, that's precisely what makes the difference: "It would have been easier in the past. Back then, center-backs were man-markers or even sweepers. They were allowed, and even expected, to track their opponents everywhere."
He continued: "These days, hardly any player knows how man-marking works anymore, and since the switch to 'modern zonal marking,' nobody really knows how or when to cover him."
Babbel also has clear ideas about the ranking of top strikers: "For me, Haaland comes after Kane. When he uses his dynamism and gets his body in the way, I don't know where I'd be flying." Mbappé, on the other hand, is easier to defend against – "if you have pace and position yourself well."
For Babbel, Kane is not only the cleverest but also the most complete striker: "If I could choose one teammate from the three, I'd also choose Kane. With his defensive attitude, he's taken the whole thing to another level."