Bayern Munich marksman Harry Kane trained on Monday and is expected to be available for Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid.
Kane missed Bayern’s win over Freiburg in the Bundesliga on Saturday because of a minor ankle issue sustained in training with England last week.
He took part in the team’s training session in Munich before the squad travelled to the Spanish capital for their colossal clash at the Santiago Bernabeu, and Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said he will wait until gameday to decide whether to use Kane.
“It was important that he did a lot of training today,” Kompany said. “I don’t think he’s lost his rhythm. We’ll wait until tomorrow and then decide. We have a great squad and are ready for the two legs.”
Bayern defender Joshua Kimmich said Kane was “massively important” for the team, adding: “He’s not just a finisher. He’s an absolute leader, a role model. He has a special mindset for an attacking player. If he plays, his leadership qualities will be important.”
Madrid forward Vinicius Jr was full of praise when asked about about Kane, who is the top scorer in Europe with 31 goals.
“He is a goal scorer. He is a great player,” he said. “But Bayern is a great team and has many players who switch positions and make it difficult for us. Whoever plays, it will be tough. We will need to be well prepared.”
Madrid and Bayern are meeting in the knockout stage of the Champions League for the sixth time in the past 14 seasons, with 15-time champions Madrid having won four of five two-legged matchups with Bayern since 2011/12: once in the quarter-finals and three times in the semi-finals, most recently in 2024.
Bayern last emerged victorious in 2012, doing so in the last-four on penalties before losing the final to Chelsea on home turf.
“Bayern are an unbelievable team, we’ve seen what they can do this season,” Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa said.
“We have a lot of respect for them. They’re having an exceptional season. I think Bayern have been the most consistent side in Europe this season. They’re fearless, aggressive, very focused defensively, with an unbelievable striker in Harry Kane.”
Bayern are unbeaten in 13 games in all competitions, with 11 wins, while Madrid are coming off a 2-1 loss at Mallorca on Saturday that hurt its LaLiga title hopes.
“We don’t think about not winning the tie and there is only one possible scenario, which is to beat Bayern and get through the tie,” Arbeloa said. “It’s the only thing we want and the only thing we believe in. All our energy is in the game against Bayern.”
Arbeloa also downplayed criticism of Kylian Mbappe, whose form has been questioned of late. Mbappe is coming off a controversial knee injury that reduced his playing time with the Spanish club.
“Mbappe knows perfectly well what Real Madrid is,” Arbeloa said. “I have no doubt about that.
“He’s someone who has dreamed of being a Real Madrid player. We’ve all seen images of Kylian Mbappe wearing the Real Madrid jersey, dreaming of becoming a Real Madrid player. What he has done to come here wasn’t easy.”
