Although there are no Premier League clubs left in the Champions League, two of England’s most prominent stars will compete for a spot in the tournament’s final.
Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane, captain of the Three Lions, has been performing exceptionally well, even though the German team failed to secure the Bundesliga title for the first time in 12 years. Meanwhile, Jude Bellingham has made an impact during his debut season at Real Madrid.
England manager Gareth Southgate will be among the enthusiastic observers when Kane and Bellingham meet in the first leg in Munich on Tuesday. Both players are key to England’s Euro 2024 campaign, but who will come out on top at the club level?
Can Bellingham Outshine Ronaldo?
After it became evident that one of the most promising young talents in football would be on the move, top clubs scrambled to sign Jude Bellingham. Despite interest from Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Chelsea, the allure of Real Madrid won him over in a transfer deal worth £89 million.
Bellingham’s performance under the pressure of being one of Real’s top players has been exceptional. In all competitions, he has scored 21 goals and provided 10 assists in 36 games. Notably, he scored injury-time winners against Barcelona both at home and away in La Liga.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s first season at the Bernabeu featured more goals, but he finished his first campaign without a trophy. Bellingham, on the other hand, is in pursuit of a La Liga title and is just three games away from winning the Champions League.
To achieve this, he must lead his team past Bayern and his England teammate Harry Kane. Should either Bellingham or Kane win the Champions League this season, they could become favorites for the Ballon d’Or.
Kane’s Ongoing Hunt for Silverware
Kane joined Bayern Munich from Tottenham Hotspur last August in a four-year deal worth an initial 100 million euros (£86.4 million) plus add-ons. While expectations were high due to his talent and skill, Kane has surpassed them, scoring 42 goals in all competitions during his debut season.
Thirty-five of those goals were in the Bundesliga, and he is just six goals short of Robert Lewandowski’s record of 41 goals in a Bundesliga season with three games remaining. In 10 Champions League matches, Kane has scored seven goals and provided three assists, including a penalty in Bayern’s 2-2 draw against old rivals Arsenal.
Only Kylian Mbappe has scored more than Kane in this season’s competition. However, Bayern’s past seven knockout meetings against Real Madrid have resulted in one draw and six losses.
With the Bundesliga title out of reach and manager Thomas Tuchel set to leave at the end of the season, this match represents Bayern’s last opportunity for silverware this campaign.
