Harry Kane Reveals Last-Minute Decision to Begin on Bayern Bench versus Frankfurt

Harry Kane (31) revealed that the decision for him to be a substitute during Bayern Munich’s impressive 4-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt was only finalised on Sunday morning.

Kane has been dealing with a calf issue since Bayern’s Champions League match against Celtic the previous Tuesday and had only participated in limited training ahead of the clash with Frankfurt.

Having initially anticipated being sidelined, Kane’s presence on the bench for Vincent Kompany’s squad came as a pleasant surprise.

“I didn’t train for a few days following the Celtic game, and we aimed to give it as much rest as possible,” Kane informed reporters post-match.

“Yesterday, I felt okay for about 30 minutes.

“We made the decision today (Sunday) for me to sit on the bench, and I believe it was the correct choice. We needed fresh legs and energy on the pitch, and that indeed occurred.

“A last-minute decision isn’t always ideal for the coach, but it worked well today.

“It was nice to get those 20 minutes at the end just to gauge how it felt — and it felt good. We have five days until the match on Friday, so it should be fine.

“The team has a day off tomorrow (Monday), so I’ll be undergoing treatment to ensure I’m in the best possible condition for Friday.”

Bayern, who will head to Stuttgart on Friday night, broke Frankfurt’s resistance just before half-time and showcased a commanding display to maintain their eight-point lead at the summit of the Bundesliga.

Kane came on for Thomas Mueller in the 64th minute, having endured a frustrating 64 minutes as an onlooker.

“To be honest, I really dislike watching games when I’m not participating. It’s not enjoyable,” Kane confessed.

‘An Impressive Display’

“However, the performance from everyone was exceptional. Several fresh players featured today who hadn’t played recently, and I think you could see that energy right from the beginning.

“Defensively, I believe that was the most significant difference compared to our recent matches. We completely suffocated them, allowing very few chances and creating a good number ourselves. A truly dominant performance.”

Bayern is set to face Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League last 16 in an all-German showdown that Kane is looking forward to, with the first leg taking place at the Allianz Arena on March 5.

The two teams have clashed three times this season — twice in the league and once in the German Cup, where Leverkusen managed a 1-0 victory. The league encounters have ended in draws, and Kane anticipates another closely contested match.

“It’s going to be challenging. Whether it was Leverkusen or Madrid, both would have posed difficulties. We haven’t forgotten the performance we put in against them with 10 men. If we bring the same dominant display we showed today, we can certainly trouble them.

“They’ll likely look back on defeating us and believe they can replicate that success. We need to maintain the energy level we showcased today and throughout most of the season. Those are going to be thrilling games.”