There were before yesterday two reasons why Harry Kane will choose to leave Bayern Munich back to the Premier League, now there are three.
It was the desire to win trophies that led 31-year-old England striker Harry Kane to be bought by German giants Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023. Bayer Leverkusen won the Bundesliga and the cup, while Real Madrid won the Champions League.
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Harry Kane is second on the Premier League’s top scorers list with 213 goals. The idea is said to have been to return sometime in the future and finish the job, but now that Mohamed Salah (who is climbing quickly on the leaderboard) has extended with two more years, it could easily be the Egyptian superstar who hijacks the top.
Yesterday, the giants were knocked out of the quarter-finals of the Champions League: Real Madrid by Arsenal and Bayern Munich by Inter Milan.
Inter won the first quarter-final match against Bayern Munich in the Champions League with 2-1. Now the return leg was to be played in Milan.
And the Italian giants would succeed in making it to the semi-finals. But it turned out to be a dramatic affair at the San Siro.
Just a few minutes into the game, the ball ended up in the hands of Michael Olise, who shot with his left, but the shot was blocked by Nicolò Barella, who was then left grimacing in pain. The Italian stuck to one leg and received medical treatment before he could continue.
It was clear that Bayern Munich was the team chasing after scoring. When half an hour had been played, Konrad Laimer got the ball in the penalty area and played it back to Thomas Müller, but the German’s shot was saved.
The ball went on to Leroy Sané, but his finish was also blocked, and it was a corner. In the end, the ball ended up in the hands of Joshua Kimmich, who shot, but this time Yann Sommer took the shot.
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The score was 0-0 when the teams went to half-time, with Inter still in the lead after the first leg.
Harry Kane – invisible before he struck
One player who was invisible in the first half was Harry Kane. But he showed himself early in the second half. After only a few minutes, the Englishman got the ball in the penalty area, and like the goalscorer he is, he placed it in the far corner.
Thus, it was 2-2 on aggregate, and extra time seemed to be on the way.
But the joy for the Bavarian supporters was short-lived. After a corner, the ball fell to Lautaro Martínez, and the Inter captain knocked it resolutely into the net.
3-2 to Inter, who were now back in the driver’s seat.
Pavard’s first goal secured advancement
Now the Milan club went for a knockout. On the next corner, it was former Bayern defender Benjamin Pavard who jumped highest and headed in to make it 4-2 for Inter, who were now on their way to the semi-finals. It was also the Frenchman’s first goal in an Inter shirt.
With a quarter of an hour left, Eric Dier breathed new life into the game. The Englishman headed in to make it 4-3 for Bayern Munich, and the hunt for an equaliser was on. The Germans created some dangerous chances, but were unable to get the ball over the line. Inter held off all the way and thus advanced to the Champions League semi-finals.
There awaits a gigantic showdown against FC Barcelona.
Big disappointment for Bayern Munich
It was a big disappointment for Bayern Munich. The German giants had dreamed of playing a Champions League final at home at the Allianz Arena, but saw that dream shattered in the quarter-finals.
Lautaro Martínez: “We never give up
The big player of the match, Lautaro Martínez, after his advancement:
“We will remember this game for a long time. Inter never gives up. We have personality, heart and brain. We suffered, but we showed once again that we can do great things,” the Argentine told Amazon Prime.
He also talked about the upcoming semi-final against Barcelona:
“It will be an important match against a big opponent. In the Champions League, they have a great history. But now we’re focusing on the series – we have time before we have to start thinking about them.
Çalhanoğlu: – A beautiful evening
There was pure joy in the Inter camp after the advancement was secured.
“It was a beautiful night, especially considering how we suffered towards the end. We were prepared to suffer – we knew Bayern would make it difficult for us. After their first goal, we reacted well. When we scored to make it 2-1, we were pushed back, but we kept believing in ourselves,” Hakan Çalhanoğlu told Sky Italia.
Harry Kane’s fate: Goalscorer without a trophy?
Harry Kane’s goal in this game was typical Kane – clinical and precise. But still, Bayern Munich ended up on the wrong side of the result.
Kane has had a fantastic first season in Germany, scoring over 30 goals in the Bundesliga without winning a trophy. This season, he has so far 23 goals at the top of the Bundesliga’s top scorers list. Bayern Munich look set to win the Bundesliga, but we think, after Tottenham’s final defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League in 2019, the Champions League and Premier League are the only things that really matter.
For a player of his calibre, he deserves to lift trophies. But football is merciless – even for one of the world’s best strikers.
Harry Kane’s body language is clear!
