Next week, the Santiago Bernabéu will host the highly anticipated first leg of the Champions League quarter-final clash between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Following their impressive performance against Manchester City, Real Madrid will be eager to secure a significant advantage to carry into the return leg in Bavaria. Their prospects for achieving this may have just improved.
Historically, Real Madrid boasts an unbeaten record against Bayern when playing at home, a streak they aim to continue. However, considering the formidable attacking prowess of the Bundesliga champions, Real Madrid’s defense will need to be exceptionally strong to ensure they secure a favorable outcome from their home fixture.
A significant development suggests that Bayern might be without their primary attacking threat for the crucial match in Madrid. Reports indicate growing apprehension surrounding Harry Kane, who missed England’s recent friendly loss against Japan due to a minor injury sustained.
Kane “Rested as a Precaution”
According to England’s camp, Kane’s absence from the Japan game stemmed from “a minor issue picked up in training,” emphasizing that his benching was a purely precautionary measure. While this offers some reassurance for Bayern, the true extent of his fitness will become clearer over the next 24-48 hours.
Kane, a player reportedly eyed by Barcelona for a potential summer move to La Liga, has had an outstanding season, netting an astonishing 48 goals in 40 appearances. His prolific scoring ability represents a significant challenge to Real Madrid’s aspirations of advancing to the Champions League semi-finals. Therefore, his potential absence from even one of the two legs would undoubtedly provide a considerable advantage to Los Blancos.
Irrespective of Kane’s participation, Real Madrid must perform at their peak to overcome Bayern. Having successfully neutralized Erling Haaland at the Bernabéu previously, they will be confident in their ability to contain another one of the world’s elite strikers.
