Bayern striker Kane getting better with age, says Kompany
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Klinsmann: Harry Kane has ‘become a leader’ for Bayern (1:17)
Jurgen Klinsmann looks back on Harry Kane’s development since moving to Munich as he fires Bayern past Leverkusen and into the Champions League quarterfinals. (1:17)
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ESPN News Services
Mar 11, 2025, 07:36 PM ET
Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany said Tuesday that star striker Harry Kane has gotten better with age after scoring one goal and setting up another in a 2-0 victory at Bayer Leverkusen that saw them book their Champions League quarterfinal spot.
Kane, who leads the Bundesliga scorers’ list with 21 goals, netted his 10th Champions League goal of the season in the 52nd minute to put Bayern in front and then set up Alphonso Davies for a second Bayern strike in the 71st.
The 31-year-old England captain is the first English player to score 10 times in a single European Cup season.
“It helps when you have a top player who wants to run and fight for the team like a youth player,” Kompany said of Kane at the post-match news conference. “I played against him as an opponent and he has become better with age. He has a way to work towards his performances.
“I trust his consistency and how he works towards his game and with that quality you always get your moments.”
Kane, who also scored twice in the first leg against Leverkusen, helped Bayern to a 5-0 aggregate win and quarterfinal tie against Serie A leaders Inter Milan.
“To beat this team 5-0 over two legs shows the type of team that we are,” Kane said after the game. “We’re in the quarterfinal now where Bayern Munich should be and we want to keep pushing.
“We just want to enjoy this because it’s not easy. Especially when you play your domestic rivals, there’s a lot of pressure, there’s a lot of intensity that goes into it.”
Kane added that Bayern hadn’t wanted to protect its three-goal lead from the first leg, but instead wanted to put Leverkusen under more pressure by creating chances early on: “In the second half we knew they had to come out and try something and we punished them.”
Prior to last week’s first-leg win, Bayern had failed to beat reigning Bundesliga champions Leverkusen in their previous six matches across all competitions.
Leverkusen also eliminated Bayern in the German Cup this season.
“These two wins, they don’t decide the season but we have a lot of respect for Leverkusen. We did our work,” Kompany said.
“We did it well in the first 20 minutes and had the better chances. Our aim was to win the first half and then to win the second half and we did that.”
Information from Reuters and The Associated Press was used in this story.
