Vincent Kompany believes that Bayern Munich talisman Harry Kane has acquired higher with age after he helped them ease into the Champions League quarter-finals.
Kane opened the scoring within the 52nd minute of their spherical of 16 second leg tie with Bayer Leverkusen earlier than establishing Alphonso Davies to seal a 5-0 combination win.
He has now been straight concerned in 24 targets in 23 Champions League appearances for Bayern (18 targets, six assists), essentially the most of any participant because the begin of final time period.
Kane is simply the second Englishman to have been concerned in 50+ targets within the competitors (39 targets, 11 assists), together with David Beckham (52 – 16 targets, 36 assists).
The England captain’s second-half strike was additionally his tenth purpose of the competitors, changing into the primary ever English participant to achieve double figures in a single version of the European Cup or Champions League.
The 31-year-old now has 32 targets and 11 assists in 36 appearances throughout all competitions, incomes reward from Kompany following the full-time whistle.
“It helps when you’ve a high participant who needs to run and combat for the staff like a youth participant,” Kompany mentioned of Kane on the post-match press convention.
“I performed towards him as an opponent, and he has turn into higher with age. He has a technique to work in the direction of his performances.
“I belief his consistency and the way he works in the direction of his sport and with that high quality you all the time get your moments.”
10 – Harry Kane is the primary ever English participant to attain 10 targets in a single European Cup/UEFA Champions League marketing campaign. Distinctive. pic.twitter.com/46kSk1882R
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 11, 2025
Kane, who additionally scored twice within the first leg towards Leverkusen, helped seal a quarter-final date towards Serie A leaders Inter, who beat Feyenoord on Tuesday.
“An enormous praise to the lads who delivered this efficiency,” Kompany mentioned. “These two wins over Leverkusen are essential for us.”
Previous to final week’s first-leg win, Bayern had did not beat reigning Bundesliga champions Leverkusen of their earlier six matches throughout all competitions.
Leverkusen additionally eradicated Bayern within the DFB-Pokal, however Kompany’s aspect responded in emphatic style with a dominant combination victory.
Certainly, their 5-0 combination win was the most important in an all-German tie within the knockout phases of a European competitors since 1998-99, when Bayern themselves gained 6-0 within the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League towards Kaiserslautern (2-0 at house, 4-0 away).
It was additionally Leverkusen’s heaviest defeat to nil on combination in a European knockout stage tie. Solely towards Barcelona in 2011-12 have they been overwhelmed by a much bigger general margin within the knockout phases of a European competitors (2-10 on combination within the Champions League final 16).
“These two wins, they don’t determine the season, however we have now a variety of respect for Leverkusen. We did our work,” Kompany mentioned.
“We did it effectively within the first 20 minutes and had the higher possibilities. Our intention was to win the primary half after which to win the second half, and we did that.”
