Bayern Munich 2-2 Real Madrid (Sane 53′, Kane pen 57’| Vinicius Jr 24′, pen 83′)
Considering the impact infighting had on England’s so-called “Golden Generation” 20 years ago, concern at the first sign of rising tension between English players is understandable.
In Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, the referee had to pull Jude Bellingham away from Harry Kane as he attempted to distract the England captain from his penalty.
Kane scored anyway, while Bellingham was substituted off shortly after an uncharacteristically quiet night. Yet given any hopes of summer success in Germany rest squarely on their shoulders, surely any sign of unrest among the English ranks is cause for anxiety?
But this didn’t constitute “beef”. It could barely even be called a tiff. “Antics” seems about right. As Kane said after the game, he didn’t even hear his Ballon d’Or rival telling him he knew which way he was going.
Nothing was going to distract Harry Kane from getting his goal
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 30, 2024pic.twitter.com/mR05vjxCPH
“I saw him mumbling something but I would have to ask him what he said,” Kane explained. “Once I am in that moment I am in my zone, trying to block everything out. I am sure he was saying something to try to put me off but thankfully it was OK for me.”
The pair reportedly spoke in the Madrid dressing room post-match, quashing any speculation about bad blood. They both understood this wasn’t personal. It was about winning, about Dave Brailsford’s infamous marginal gains, about understanding the power of psychology in sports and how to use it. You do what needs to be done.
This can only be good news for England’s Euro hopes. Not only was this a Champions League semi-final in which two Englishmen were the undoubted star attraction, but it demonstrated both Kane’s unstoppable goalscoring form and Bellingham’s immovable will to win.
When these forces are combined rather than attempting to nullify each other, it can only bolster Gareth Southgate’s side. The biggest concern about combining Bellingham and Kane in their current stages of stardom is catering to their tactical profiles rather than their egos.
Real Madrid peg back Bayern to set up Bernabeu classic
By Ian Winrow
As Harry Kane waited to take his second-half penalty, Jude Bellingham whispered in the ear of his England teammate.
Opponents in the Allianz Arena, the Real Madrid midfielder was never going to be offering words of advice but Kane remained unmoved and converted the spot-kick that raised Bayern Munich’s hopes that they would hold the advantage ahead of the Champions League semi-final second leg in the Bernabeu Stadium next week.
Kane’s effort, the striker’s 43rd club goal of the season, came after Leroy Sané had cancelled out Vinicius Junior’s opening goal. Thomas Tuchel’s side were unable to hold on and Vinicius Junior ensured the tie remained evenly balanced when he converted another penalty eight minutes from time.
The presence of Kane and Bellingham provided an intriguing sub-plot. This was also the eighth time the two clubs had met in the semi-finals, with Bayern progressing on four occasions. After an absorbing first leg, both clubs will believe they are capable of taking the final step to Wembley this time around.
The game was less than a minute old when Kane’s first time pass sent Sané clear but the former Manchester City winger lacked the composure to make the most of the opportunity. The roles were reversed when Sané’s backheel set up Kane’s first shooting opportunity but the striker was unable to get enough power on his shot.
Real keeper Andriy Lunin was given a bigger scare when Kane attempted to catch him out with a shot from near halfway after Bellingham had been caught in possession. The La Liga side, though, began to look increasingly assured as they kept Kane and company at bay.
And it took one incisive attack for Carlo Ancelotti’s side to undo Bayern’s early good work and establish a lead. Toni Kroos was the architect, delivering a through ball into the space vacated by Bayern defender Kim Min-jae’s ill-judged decision to step up from the defensive line and Vinicius Junior then took advantage of Manuel Neuer’s indecision to roll Real ahead.
Kane directed a free-kick narrowly wide shortly before the break but when Tuchel’s side failed to generate fresh momentum at the start of the second half, it appeared as though Real were in control.
Sane, though, brought his side back into the game in the 53rd minute when he cut in from the right and drilled in a left foot shot before
Kane turned the game around after Jamal Musiala had been tripped by Lucas Vazquez.
It looked as though this would be Kane’s night, with Bellingham surprisingly replaced with 15 minutes remaining. Kim, though, was again at fault when he brought Rodrygo down with an ill-judged challenge and Vinicius Junior matched Kane’s earlier composure to leave the tie in the balance.
After the game, Ancelotti said: “Bellingham was just tired, he couldn’t continue anymore and I had enough good players on the bench and had to take advantage of this.
“He will get back to his best performance. He was injured which affected him. He wasn’t at his best in this game but will be back and on Wednesday will be 100 per cent again.”
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