Englishmen abroad: Kane relishes Champions League duel with Bellingham

MUNICH, April 18 — Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane looked forward to the Champions League semi-final meeting with England teammate Jude Bellingham’s Real Madrid, saying it was “why we moved abroad.”

Bayern beat Arsenal 1-0 on Wednesday at home thanks to a second-half goal from Joshua Kimmich in the quarter-finals for a 3-2 aggregate win.

The victory sent Kane’s side through to the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2020, when the club won a treble.

They will meet Real Madrid, who beat holders Manchester City on penalties on Wednesday.

Advertisement

Kane left boyhood club Tottenham for Bayern in the same summer that Bellingham moved from Borussia Dortmund to the Spanish giants.

The England captain, who will play alongside Bellingham at this summer’s European championships in Germany, said he moved for occasions like this.

“These are the experiences that I think we both moved abroad for. To try and achieve it, to play in these big nights,” he said.

Advertisement

Kane said making it to this year’s Champions League final, to be held at Wembley, was both his and Bellingham’s dream.

“For both of us of course. It’ll be in our national stadium so there’s an extra motivation to try and go there and achieve it.

“But you know we still have two games ahead of us which are going to be really tough and we have to focus on that.”

Both Kane, 30, and Bellingham will be among the first picked in Gareth Southgate’s England side for the Euros and have impressed this season playing for European powerhouse clubs.

Kane has 39 goals in 40 games in all competitions for Bayern.

Bellingham, still just 20, has 16 league goals this season, one shy of the top mark in the La Liga, and has begun to establish himself as one of the world’s best players.

While Kane’s move was the first time he left Tottenham, Bellingham moved to Dortmund at the age of 17.

Bellingham won a German Cup with Dortmund and was close to winning the Bundesliga last season, losing out on goal difference to Bayern — who had not yet signed Kane.

While the Champions League is the famously trophyless Kane’s only chance of silverware with Bayern this season, Bellingham’s Real are eight points clear of Barcelona in La Liga.

“Jude’s had a fantastic season and he’s a really top player, so obviously happy for him, but it’ll be another war against his against his team.”

Bayern qualified for the semis for the 13th time, a run trailing only Real Madrid.

Real Madrid have 14 Champions League crowns, by far the record in the competition.

Bayern have six, level with Liverpool and one shy of AC Milan.

“I’m sure they’ll be a lot of English fans watching both of us as well,” added Kane.

“But we just have to focus on ourselves. Of course, I will say hello, but you know once we’re on the pitch is about doing my best for the team.” — AFP