Bundesliga
Harry hype and Kane mania: striker makes Bayern better
Bayern’s Harry Kane celebrates his first goal in the Bundesliga: The 2-0 win against SV Werder Bremen. photo
© Axel Heimken/dpa
FC Bayern and the Bundesliga have a new top star. Munich’s exceptional striker immediately showed how valuable he can be in the 4-0 win in Bremen. Its impact extends far beyond the field of play.
Without football it worked for Not Harry Kane on the day off after his first full week of work at FC Bayern Munich. Like many English fans, the German champions’ new super striker was thrilled on Sunday when the Lionesses played for the title against Spain in the women’s World Cup final in Sydney.
For Kane it was a little break in his new home after his impressive debut in the Bundesliga at the season opener with a 4-0 win at Werder Bremen and a trip by the Munich pros to a game against fans in South Tyrol a day later.
Kane: “I’m very happy to be part of Bayern Munich”
Harry Kane here, Harry Kane there, Harry Kane everywhere. The top star, who cost over 100 million euros, was already almost omnipresent on the pitch in Bremen after his assist and his goal. In front of almost every camera and microphone, he was asked to describe how he felt on this remarkable evening.
And even with the twelfth edition of the Bayern dream game in the selection of the fan club “Weinbeisser Kaltern”, the mood in South Tyrol fluctuated between Harry hype and Kane mania. The 30-year-old was quoted on the club’s website: “I’m very happy to be part of FC Bayern now.”
The joy is mutual. Kane already indicated in Bremen that he was doing better with his new team. “Incredible start to the league season,” he said visibly satisfied in a video via Instagram from the aisles of the Weser Stadium. “A 4-0 win, a goal, an assist, a perfect start – you couldn’t have asked for anything better.”
Tuchel raves about the “Harry Kane effect”
The media in his home country also observed the first Bundesliga appearance of their national team captain. “HURRI-KANE. Harry Kane shows with a goal and an assist that he is already Bayern’s most important man,” wrote the tabloid “The Sun”. The “Daily Mail” said: “Bayern Munich have a new hero – and it is England’s captain! Even for Harry Kane’s insanely high standards, his Bundesliga debut was breathtaking.”
Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel had already raved about the “Harry Kane effect” during the week, which works on so many levels. In Bremen, the 49-year-old agreed to the next song of praise. “He’s just very, very smart in everything he does – and very precise,” said Tuchel. “It’s absolutely top notch, impressive and he’ll make any of our players better around him because he draws attention.”
Captain Joshua Kimmich was also impressed. Kane had already shone in the 4th minute as an assist to lead through the equally strong national player Leroy Sané and 70 minutes later showed his qualities as an executor. In addition, he had kept the Bremen defense permanently busy and created space for his neighbors.
Kimmich: “Kane is very good for our game”
“I think our other attacking players will benefit a lot from him because now he’s not a striker who just slims down and executes, but is also one who sets the scene for the others, as we saw with Leroy.” said Kimmich. “In general, of course, he’s very good for our game because he’s a player who can both play and execute.”
Apparently, the Kane effect on Säbener Straße not only had a sporting effect, but also had a remarkably quick effect on the internal climate – and on Tuchel’s mood. Just six days earlier, after the 3-0 defeat against RB Leipzig in the Supercup, he had given free rein to his frustration and scolded his team.
“We kept our good level constant this time, even in the phases when things got difficult,” praised Tuchel in Bremen. Werder’s strong minutes after the break “didn’t make them crazy, they stuck with it, they stayed stable”. Tuchel took this as the first step into the season. Tuchel will know that Bremen’s current condition is not a meaningful benchmark for his team and Harry Kane.