Bayern's Kompany sweat on Kane for 'toughest' game at Real Madrid
Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany said he would wait until matchday to make a final call on Harry Kane’s fitness to start the Champions League visit to face Real Madrid,
Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany said he would wait until matchday to make a final call on Harry Kane’s fitness to start the Champions League visit to face Real Madrid, which he labelled the “toughest” trip in the competition.
The England striker missed Bayern’s win at Freiburg on Saturday with an ankle issue but the German side are hopeful he will be ready to play at the Santiago Bernabeu in the quarter-final first leg tonight.
Kane trained with his team-mates early yesterday before Bayern flew to the Spanish capital on the eve of the match.
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”(Kane) had his second practice session today and was also (training) when he didn’t play, so I don’t really think that he lost his rhythm,” Kompany told reporters.
“We have to wait for tomorrow to get the final information and then we make the decision accordingly. But he’s part of our team and that’s positive to us.”
Kompany admitted Kane, who has scored 48 goals in 40 games this season for Bundesliga leaders Bayern, viewed the game as vital for the club’s season when asked if the forward would push himself to the limit to start.
“Everybody in the club, including myself and especially Harry Kane, knows how important this game is,” Kompany said.
“I think it’s still always the right thing to have a discussion with each player to make sure that you get the thumbs up.
“Then when we decide it’s a go, it’s a go with no more extra thinking about it, just performing and winning the game.”
Record 15-time winners Real Madrid have a strong record against Bayern, eliminating the German side in each of the last four ties in which they have met in the competition.
Most recently Madrid netted two last-gasp goals to oust Bayern at the Bernabeu in the 2024 semi-finals.
“I think you have to respect that this game is partially played by tactics, but mainly played by details, because of the quality of the 11 players from both teams that are starting the game,” said Kompany.
“The version of Real Madrid that we have to prepare for is the best Real Madrid, the one that we saw against Man City (in the last 16), if you base (your game plan) against that Real Madrid, they’re still one of the best teams in Europe.
“It’s still maybe the toughest game you can play away from home in this competition.”
Inter Milan knocked out Bayern in the quarter-finals last season, which Kompany said was largely because of a long list of injured players the German club had at the time.
The Belgian coach was happy that this season his squad is virtually all available to take on Real Madrid.
“We had a lot of players not there (against Inter),” explained Kompany. “If I look at the players on the plane today, I would say that we’re in a good position to start this game. It doesn’t mean we’re going to win.
“Maybe there will be different lessons, but I feel like we have our best players there, and we have to believe and we have to do everything we can to try and win the game.”
