Key Takeaways
- Kane has scored 33 goals this Bundesliga season and will win the Golden Boot for the third consecutive year
- The England captain contributes far more than goals, ranking third in the league for chances created and through-balls
- He has never finished higher than tenth in Ballon d’Or voting and needs a major trophy to change this
Harry Kane came off the bench at half-time for Bayern Munich last weekend. The team was losing 3-0 to Mainz. The England captain then scored the winning goal to make the final score 4-3.
This goal was number 33 for Kane in the Bundesliga this season. He will finish as the league’s top scorer for the third year in a row. Only Robert Lewandowski and Gerd Muller have won this award more times in German football history.
Bayern leader Uli Hoeness recently described why Kane is special. He explained that Bayern usually has number nines who only score goals. But Kane is different. He defends, organises the team, creates assists, and scores. Hoeness noted that while Gerd Muller stayed in the penalty box, Kane has changed the number nine position. He plays all over the pitch but still scores many goals.
The numbers show this clearly. Kane has touched the ball twice as much in his own half as he has near the opponent’s goal. Even so, he leads the race for the European Golden Boot by nine goals.
His creative skills are amazing. Kane ranks third in the Bundesliga for big chances created in open play. He is also third for successful through-balls. His passing ability is as good as the best playmakers in world football.
You sometimes need to watch Kane in the stadium to see his vision properly. In a match against Cologne in January, he made a pass that shocked the crowd. He saw a teammate in space and hooked the ball forward while twisting his body.
Manager Vincent Kompany understands this strength. He does not order Kane to stay in the box and wait for the ball. Instead, Kane helps wingers like Michael Olise by creating chances for them. This is a central part of his job.
This makes Kane a double threat. In the recent match at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid, his passing was not perfect. However, he still scored the winning goal with an accurate finish. Like the best all-rounders in cricket, he always affects the match in some way.
That goal was a big moment. Kane needs more of these.
Last season, Bayern lost to Inter Milan in the Champions League quarter-finals. The season before, Kane left the pitch before Joselu scored twice to help Real Madrid win the semi-final. Kane has had too many near misses in big games.
For England, Kane was the top scorer at the 2018 World Cup. But in the quarter-finals or later stages of two World Cups, he has scored only one goal. That was a penalty against France four years ago. People remember that match more for the penalty he missed soon after.
At the last European Championship, fitness problems meant Kane had to leave the pitch during the semi-final and final when the games were still close. Fans hope he is now ready to take his chance in the important matches ahead.
If Kane succeeds in these key games, his status will change. Some people think the Ballon d’Or is not important. However, it shows how the best players view each other. Kane has always appeared on the Ballon d’Or list. But he has never placed higher than tenth place.
This does not show his true quality. But it happens because he has not been the star when the biggest matches take place. The Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain is exactly that type of big game.
Can Kane play better than Ousmane Dembele as he did against Kylian Mbappe in the last round? Could he score in the final next month? Tottenham fans would enjoy that result as much as Bayern supporters.
Kane has already won his first trophies. Bayern are close to winning the domestic double. But the Champions League, and the World Cup after that, will define how people remember his career. This is Kane’s chance to get the worldwide praise that his talent deserves.