Harry Kane has drawn on his past experiences with Tottenham Hotspur to warn Arsenal of Bayern Munich’s ability to go all the way in the Champions League.
Kane was on target during Tuesday’s 2-2 draw between the sides at Emirates Stadium, leaving next week’s return fixture in Germany nicely poised.
For Bayern, Europe’s elite competition is their final chance of silverware this season after enduring a hugely disappointing campaign. Sat 16 points behind Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, Thomas Tuchel’s side are set to miss out on a top-flight title for the first time since 2012 and were knocked out the DFB Pokal by FC Saarbrücken of the German third tier.
Likening this similarity to the 2018/19 season which saw Spurs reach the final of the Champions League despite poor form domestically, the England international said: “We’ve got a lot of experience in our team, a lot of players in our team who have played Champions League for a long time, players who have played in finals, won finals and of course you have to lean on that and, as a team, show that on the pitch. We have to find that togetherness, we have to find that team ethic where we grind out games because we haven’t done it enough this year.
“In the Champions League, we’ve done well, had a good campaign but we will need more of that if we want to go all the way to Wembley. Look, it’s a competition that the club wants to win. Not winning the Bundesliga this year is a tough pill to swallow and it makes this competition even more important but we know there’s still a long way to go.
“That campaign with Tottenham itself is similar because we weren’t having a great time in the league if I’m totally honest that year but we found some passion and togetherness in the Champions League,” he continued.
“We managed to get to the final and of course we didn’t manage to win it but that experience gives me hope that we can find that again. We know we can perform in the big games, perform in the big quarter-final at home next week and try to get back to the final. Being at Wembley is also extra motivation for me personally being my national stadium and it’s still there to try and achieve.”
Trophies are usually par for the course at Bayern, however, they are in the middle of their worst season for quite some time and will require a new permanent manager this summer when Tuchel departs. It has nonetheless been a positive individual campaign for Kane, however, who has scored 39 goals in all competitions despite the overall struggles of the side.
Though things have not gone his way to date, Kane holds no regrets and is keen to emphasise his dedication to the Bayern Munich project. The striker shared: “I’m really enjoying my experience in Germany and it was a step that I needed in my career for a fresh stimulus, a fresh challenge and new surroundings, new stadiums, new teams and I’m really happy that I made the move.
“Of course, I know how big the Premier League is, I played there for so many years before and my future is at Bayern Munich. I have a four-year contract, I’m really enjoying it, hopefully I will be able to make something special happen this season.
“But if not, I’ll be ready to go again in the summer and turn things around. It’s been a disappointing season in the Bundesliga mainly compared to what Leverkusen have done. You have to give them credit and respect but Arsenal was a chance to show our togetherness and we’ve done that.”
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