Kovac zeroes in on Kane ahead of Bayern-Dortmund: "It takes 11 players to stop him"

Just a few days ago Harry Kane was hoisting the Ballon d'Or. This Saturday, with the medal still warm, he walks straight into one of German soccer's hottest fixtures. Bayern Munich hosts Borussia Dortmund at the Allianz Arena with more than three points on the line: both sides arrive level at the top of the Bundesliga, so this weekend's Klassiker looks like a genuine measuring stick.

For Dortmund, what weighs heaviest isn't just the standings but recent history: they haven't beaten Bayern since 2024, five matches without a win over their fiercest rival. Niko Kovac, their coach, knows this all too well, which is why he spent much of this week's press conference talking about one name in particular: Kane.

Kovac didn't hold back describing what the Englishman has done since arriving in Germany in 2023. "Since he came to Germany, he made another big jump. He was already a top player in England, but to make another jump at his age is sensational and shows the danger and the quality of a player like that," he said. He also made clear he has no plans to send a single defender to chase him down: "We're not going to solve this one on one, we'll have to do it together. It takes 11 players, and only when you have 11 players at a high level can you get something done in Munich."

He didn't somehow buy it, he definitely wasn't handed it, he worked hard for it.Niko Kovac

Kovac also found an upside to the tight standings: being level, he said, "makes it a lot more exciting," though he warned his team will need "90 minutes at the highest level" to take anything from the defending champion's home ground.

Kane's return after the glory

The curious thing is that Kane didn't even play in Bayern's last outing. He stayed on the bench while his teammates thrashed second-division side Magdeburg 6-1 in the German Cup, and before kickoff he was even given a guard of honor by his own teammates for the Ballon d'Or. The club has already announced that this Saturday, before hosting Dortmund, there will be another show of recognition for the 33-year-old forward, who became the first Bayern player to win the award in 45 years.

Kane himself said the rest had nothing to do with the celebrations: "No, I didn't celebrate too much. I could have played, but honestly Danksy had already told me he was thinking about resting me for this game, even before the Ballon d'Or." He added that the last 48 hours had been an emotional whirlwind, between Monday's ceremony and Saturday's match: "It's been a big emotional load, going through that huge moment on Monday and now this big game as well."

One topic has crept into the conversation back in England: the possibility that Kane could be knighted. The striker himself joked about being called "Sir": "It would sound good, but it would feel strange having everyone call me Sir. So for now we'll just stick with Harry."

Meanwhile, Bayern remains without its regular head coach. Vincent Kompany spent several days in the hospital after collapsing at the club's training ground last week. Sporting director Max Eberl explained that the Belgian was treated for meningeal irritation, an inflammation of the tissue surrounding the brain or spinal cord, and has since been discharged. Before the episode, Kompany had also been dealing with a viral infection and a hip injury. In his absence, assistant Aaron Danks remains in charge of the team, the same man who gave Kane his rest with this Klassiker in mind.