KOMPANY CONTENT WITH KANE’S CONTROLLED ENGLAND WORKLOAD
Bayern boss Vincent Kompany has "no issue" with England's use of Harry Kane during the break. The striker, who scored twice for England, is fit for Der Klassiker against unbeaten rivals Dortmund.
During the October international break, Vincent Kompany had no problem with England's deployment of Harry Kane, a forward for Bayern Munich.
After suffering an ankle injury during Bayern's triumph at Eintracht Frankfurt two weeks prior, Kane was unable to play in England's 3-0 friendly victory against Wales at Wembley.
The in-form 32-year-old Kane reacted with a brace after England manager Thomas Tuchel, whom Kompany replaced at Allianz Arena, deemed him fit for Tuesday's World Cup qualifying match in Latvia.
"I am not the coach of England or Germany," Kompany said at a press conference before Saturday's Klassiker against Borussia Dortmund. The coaches have the final say.
"Everyone wants Harry to be in good shape. Our objectives are the same. If a player is not healthy, nobody wins. He had adequate time to prepare for the next game because he did not play in the first one. So, everything is OK.
The former Tottenham Hotspur striker has scored 21 goals in 13 club and national appearances this season, including his double for England.
Kane, the captain of England, recently gave Kompany credit for helping him "unlock another level" in his game.
However, Kompany maintained, "On his own, he is at his next level. That is what he always does. That is the mindset he established every year, even when I was playing against him and in the years that followed.
Perhaps the fact that he did not win a title for a while helped him maintain his hunger.
He is aware of his potential contribution to our squad and to his colleagues. He then demonstrates his abilities by including others in addition to his ambitions.
"There is no additional strain on him if he occasionally performs worse, but we hope he can maintain that. There, the others will make up for it. We have a lot of faith in our team.
Dortmund's visit will put Bayern's spotless record of ten wins this season in jeopardy.
With four wins from their six league games, Dortmund is currently second in the Bundesliga behind leaders Bayern, but Kompany assured his squad that eliminating their opponent's undefeated domestic start would not provide them with any additional motivation.
"That is not a thing for me," Kompany continued. All we want is to win. These championship matchups with Dortmund are comparable to their own cup competition.
"I mean in the sense that a five-win or five-loss streak is irrelevant. Your only goal in this game is to win. I do not want it to be boiled down to three points or a record. All we want is to defeat Dortmund. Is it that easy?
"First against second, both undefeated, is our motive for this Klassiker. This game has us thrilled.
"On the whole, Dortmund is a good team because of a variety of factors, but we are at home and are prepared for this match. I am hoping for a successful outcome for us and a fantastic game for the supporters.
BAYERN MUNICH HELD: VUSKOVIC AND VIEIRA STUN KOMPANY IN A WILD 2-2 HAMBURG DRAW
Luka Vuskovic and Fabio Vieira shine as Hamburg hold Bayern Munich to a 2-2 draw. Read the full Bundesliga match analysis here.
Bayern Munich dropped points again in the Bundesliga, settling for a 2-2 draw against Hamburg up north. Harry Kane and Luis Diaz both found the net for Bayern, who took the lead after Fabio Vieira had put Hamburg ahead with a first-half penalty. But Luka Vuskovic, who was everywhere for the hosts, powered in a header to snatch a well-earned point in a wild game at Volksparkstadion.
Early on, Bayern tried to quiet down the home crowd and pushed hard for the first goal. Still, it was Hamburg who struck first. About 30 minutes in, Nicolai Remberg beat Joshua Kimmich to a loose ball and drew a foul from the German midfielder. Fabio Vieira, on loan from Arsenal, coolly slotted the penalty past Manuel Neuer and into the bottom corner.
Bayern didn’t waste much time. Within ten minutes, Serge Gnabry slipped behind the defence and whipped in a cross. Kimmich’s awkward shot landed at Kane’s feet, and the England captain smashed it home. Kompany threw on Luis Diaz at halftime, and it paid off instantly. Diaz finished off a slick pass from Olise less than a minute after coming on.
Hamburg weren't rattled, though. Just eight minutes into the second half, Vuskovic muscled past Alphonso Davies and hammered in a header from William Mikelbrencis’ cross. Hamburg almost took the lead when Neuer fluffed a clearance, leaving Vieira with an open goal, but Davies raced back to clear it off the line. Bayern pushed for a winner and shouted for a couple of penalties, but the referee wasn’t having it. In the end, both sides walked away with a point.
Standout player? Luka Vuskovic, no question. The Croatian centre-back, on loan from Tottenham, gave Hamburg steel at the back and kept Kane pretty quiet. His equaliser—already his fourth of the season—showed a hunger and skill Spurs have been missing lately.
On the flip side, Vincent Kompany has to take some heat. The Bayern boss did well bringing on Diaz, but you wonder if starting him would’ve made the difference. Bayern had the lead but couldn’t finish the job, and Hamburg deserved their share of the spoils.
HARRY KANE REVEALS HIS "FAVORITE GERMAN DISH" IS ACTUALLY A REWARD FOR SCORING
It’s a ritual! Harry Kane reveals how local chef Stefan Kastner delivers free veal schnitzels for every goal he scores for Bayern.
Every time Harry Kane scores for Bayern Munich, he gets a free dinner—no joke. There’s this local pub owner who drops off a schnitzel for every goal Kane bangs in for the German champs.
The man behind this tradition? Stefan Kastner, chef and superfan, runs the Buchenhain Forest Inn. He doesn’t just send the food—he actually drives out himself to Kane’s place and hands it over. Kastner’s from Baierbrunn, a suburb just outside Munich, and he swears his schnitzels give Kane that extra push on the pitch.
Kane, by the way, calls these deliveries a “ritual”. He even lets Kastner—everyone calls him the “Schnitzel Guy”—swing by past security whenever he’s due for a drop-off. With the way Kane’s scoring, that’s happening a lot.
Funny thing, though—Kane’s strict about his diet. No chips, ever. Kastner says, “At first, I just did it as a fan. Now, it’s a real tradition. I’ve been at this for over a year, and I’d say we’re up to 50 or 60 schnitzels so far. I don’t deliver one after every single goal. I wait until he’s scored a couple, then I drive over, usually around six in the evening. Lately, I wait for two goals before making the trip. Then I bring a veal schnitzel with roasted potatoes, plus another with potato salad.”
When the local paper TZ ran the story, Kane owned up—he loves schnitzels. “It’s turned into a ritual. It’s lovely. Honestly, it’s probably my favourite dish in Germany. Some people say it’s Austrian or Bavarian, but either way, it’s my top pick since moving here.”
He’s quick to admit he doesn’t eat every single one. “They get delivered, and my family or whoever’s at the house digs in. It helps us feel like we’re part of the community,” he says.
“And really, this was Stefan’s idea. I doubt he thought I’d score this many goals. But, yeah, it’s just a good story. It feels right.”