Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. Bona fide giants of European football. Together, they boast 20 European Cups between them captured over the past eight decades. And as these two titans prepare to contest another Champions League semi-final this year, they now also find themselves with England’s two best players: Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane, and Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham.
As far as first seasons at new clubs go, both players have had sensational starts to their lives in Munich and Madrid respectively. Harry Kane has plundered goals at a record-breaking rate for Bayern, scoring 42 goals in 42 games in all competitions. Jude Bellingham currently sits second in La Liga’s top scorer charts, with 17 league goals as part of 21 goals in all competitions.
Of course, both sides have previously featured an English player in their line-ups for a Champions League semi-final. Back in 2001, Real’s Steve McManaman locked horns with Bayern’s then 19-year-old Owen Hargreaves in midfield, who made his first start in European competition for the second leg in Munich, in which the home side advanced to the final, and eventually won their fourth European crown.
This time around, things are different with Kane and Bellingham not just representing the top two English players right now, but they also have become the standout players at each of their sides and have played key roles in their clubs reaching the Champions League semi-finals.
Kane and his Bayern teammates overcame Arsenal in the quarterfinals, with a 3-2 aggregate victory after Joshua Kimmich’s header gave the Bavarians a 1-0 home win at the Allianz Arena. And the England captain has spoken in admiration on several occasions about how well Bellingham has acclimatised to life in the Spanish capital but insists there will be no love lost with his national team colleague in the lead-up to Tuesday’s first leg in Munich, as they both seek to reach the final at Wembley.
Kane said: “I’m really happy for Jude but it will be another war against his team. These are the experiences we both went abroad to try to achieve: to play in these big nights in the Champions League, to play in these big semi-finals. It will be one to enjoy and I’m sure there will be a lot of English fans watching both of us.
“With Wembley being our national stadium, it’s extra motivation there for us. But there are two games ahead of us before that, which are going to be really tough, so we have to focus on that.”
Back in February, Kane spoke about Bellingham’s great qualities as a player, and even discussed how the two players could thrive playing alongside one another for England, as they are set to join forces for the national team for this summer’s European Championships, which will take place in Germany.
The 30-year-old said: “Jude’s a fantastic player, really smart and mature and will only get better, and I’m hoping that our relationship will get better from that. If you saw some of the games in the camps in November and October, we complemented each other well because we understand each other.
“Sometimes Jude will be playing high as a No 9 and I’ll fill that role as a No 10. Sometimes I’ll be No 9, and he’ll play as a 10. I don’t want to say they are ‘free’ roles but we both have more to our games than just one position. We see the pitch, see where the space is and try and get involved. I’m hoping that will blossom the more we play with each other.”
Meanwhile, Bellingham’s impact for Real Madrid has been lauded by several stellar names from the club’s past, including former captain and three-time Champions League winner Raul.
The former striker who scored 323 goals in a record 741 club appearances for Los Blancos said: “Bellingham is the player who has impressed me the most given how young he is. He speaks as a mature player, a veteran already, as if he had been at Real Madrid for a long time.
“It’s really hard to find a player like that and the fans love him. He is a player who gives extra when things are tough. He connects with people and that why he is going to be a legend.”
The last word goes to Bellingham, the prodigious 20-year-old, who is being tipped to be a future England captain in the post-Kane era, whenever that might be. The face-to-face test with his fellow countryman could be an example of just how far the young player from Birmingham has come.
He said: “I could never have dreamt of how it’s started. Not just because of the performances, the goals, but just the feeling you get playing for the club every day. You get to put the badge on your chest and you’re just so grateful to be there. Long may it continue.
“I could never have dreamt of how it’s started. Not just because of the performances, the goals, but just the feeling you get playing for the club every day. You get to put the badge on your chest and you’re just so grateful to be there. Long may it continue.”
