‘Our year’: Harry Kane and Bayern primed for Champions League tilt
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Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane (second from left) celebrating with teammates after Michael Olise (second from right) scored in a 4-1 win over VfL Osnabruck on Sept 2.
PHOTO: AFP
MUNICH – Bayern Munich have made it clear their main goal this season is to win the Champions League after recent near misses, with Harry Kane saying “it has to be our year”.
Bayern fell agonisingly short against eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain in a wild semi-final last campaign.
PSG won a manic first leg 5-4 and then frustrated Bayern in a 1-1 draw in the second in Munich to advance to the final, where they beat Arsenal on penalties to retain their title.
Bayern start their latest tilt at a seventh European Cup at home against Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt on Sept 10 (Sept 11, Singapore time).
Those around the club, such as former midfielder and 2013 winner Bastian Schweinsteiger, believe only a lack of squad depth in what will be another punishing season could derail Bayern’s hopes of winning the trophy for the first time since 2020.
Coach Vincent Kompany has made the Champions League the team’s target, alongside Bayern’s almost default domestic dominance.
“The goals with Bayern are always the highest: Winning the Bundesliga, winning the Pokal (German Cup), winning the Champions League – and maybe even winning every game,” Kompany told the club magazine in August.
Bayern have twice made the Champions League semi-finals in Kane’s three years at the club, but no further.
The Bavarian giants were within touching distance of the final in 2023-24, but fell to eventual champions Real Madrid.
Kane was substituted with Bayern holding a one-goal lead with six minutes remaining in the second leg, only for the Spanish giants to score twice in three minutes to turn the tie on its head for a 4-3 aggregate win.
“Yes, we’re really close,” Kane told TNT Sports of Bayern’s chances this season on Sept 7.
“I think last year was the finest of margins – to go out to a team who have won the Champions League back-to-back. There’s no shame in that.
“We’re coming into this season now saying that it needs to be our year. We need to find a way to get it done.”
‘Luck at the right moment’
The England captain has been part of plenty of near misses in his career for club and country.
Long derided for a lack of team trophies, Kane has five after arriving at Bayern – including two Bundesliga titles and a German Cup – and said he now knows what it takes to win.
“It is not just about being the best team. Sometimes you also need a bit of luck at the right moment,” said the 33-year-old.
Fortune with injuries could define Bayern’s season.
Bayern made two major additions in the summer, opting for depth and versatility in what will be a punishing campaign.
In came Ismael Saibari, who can play anywhere across the forward line, along with Germany’s Nathaniel Brown, who has toggled between left-back and midfield this season.
Schweinsteiger said Bayern “will dominate the Bundesliga” but depth may still be a concern, particularly with the uncertainty around Jamal Musiala.
After collapsing in pre-season games, Musiala revealed he is suffering from a neurological disorder that can lead to seizures, but he was able to return without incident in the scoreless draw at Schalke on Sept 5.
“The situation with Jamal Musiala is difficult, so it will be interesting how Bayern Munich manage it, because over the course of a season you need strong options from the bench,” Schweinsteiger told AFP.
“When I think back to the matches against PSG, their options from the bench made a difference in the second leg.
“Luis Enrique made excellent tactical adjustments in the second half of the match in Munich to win and progress.
“In matches like those, Bayern Munich may need to adapt their style of play, because PSG’s attacking players, and indeed the team as a whole, pose a different challenge from those Bayern Munich usually face in the Bundesliga.”
In other matches on Sept 10, Manchester United host Azerbaijani debutants Sabah as the Red Devils make their return to the Champions League after a two-year absence.
Italian Serie A side Como, led by former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas, will also be making their bow in Europe’s elite club competition when they host RB Leipzig.
The opening week sees matches spread across three days, compared with two days for normal match weeks, as UEFA has set aside an “exclusive” match week for each of its three club competitions.
The Europa League starts on Sept 16, with the UEFA Conference League commencing on Oct 15. AFP