Harry Kane: the No 9 who even drops in as a sweeper

Without 'Cuti' Romero, who stops Harry Kane? José David López's answer is a surprising one: Kane barely plays as a No 9, drops between the centre-backs to bring the ball out, and his best weapon is switching the play.

Rubén Uría asks how Atlético de Madrid should stop Harry Kane without 'Cuti' Romero: man-marking from Le Normand, or Pubill moving into the middle? The answer begins with a warning: it is going to sound strange.

According to José David López, Kane scores all the goals of a No 9 but spends very little time in the No 9 position. Having studied his heat maps and specific matches, he says Kane often even pops up as a sweeper, dropping between the centre-backs to start moves and face the play.

Hence the tactical conclusion: following him around is impossible and suicidal, because it would drag a centre-back beyond the halfway line. What does need watching is what he does once he turns, especially if he is allowed to go long towards Michael Olise or Alphonso Davies. What he does best right now, López explains, are those long-range switches of play from one flank to the other, like an NFL quarterback.