Harry Kane was labelled "very poor" by Dietmar Hamann after the Bayern Munich striker put in another anonymous performance against PSG in Europe.
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Kane struggled to make an impact against PSGKim Min-jae's first-half header made the differenceEnglish striker criticised again for his lacklustre performanceFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Kane has come under scrutiny following his subdued performance in Bayern's narrow 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League. Despite his prolific domestic form, Kane's inability to make an impact against top European opposition has sparked fresh criticism. Before half-time, Kane recorded no shots, failed to register a touch inside the penalty area, and completed just 62 per cent of his passes – figures that illustrate a stark contrast to his dominant displays in the Bundesliga.
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Hamann had earlier fired shots at Kane while questioning his ability to influence matches on the biggest stages.
“He wasn't brought in to score a hat trick against Darmstadt,” Hamann wrote while criticising his failure to find the net against Bayer Leverkusen, Aston Villa, and the Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid last season.
“He hasn't done that yet. I remain sceptical about the star striker.”
Kane's performance against PSG did not help his cause and Hamann did not let go of the opportunity to have a go at him again.
Speaking on Breakfast, Hamann said: "I went to the game yesterday and I’ve got to say he was very poor, I don’t think he had a shot on target and he pretty much played the same way yesterday as he did at the Euros for England. I think the jury is still out on whether he’s got it against the best teams – because he didn’t do it for England.
"I watched him against Ireland last week and he was poor. He played a wonder ball for the penalty but honestly, that’s not enough for an England captain. The World Cup is about 18, 19, 20 months away. Will he be the player or the captain to lead the line for England?”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Ahead of the PSG clash, Kane addressed criticism from Hamann about his performances in key matches as the Bayern forward emphasized that his contributions beyond goal-scoring.
"Yeah maybe it's a little bit out of context," he told reporters. "I think if you look at my goals last season against some of the bigger teams: Dortmund away, Stuttgart — all those types of games … Yeah maybe it's taken a little out of context, but look, I try to to score in every game, I try to help the team in every game. Obviously this week is a really big week and we know that. As the striker in the team and the goal scorer in the team, I want to help the team by scoring goals, for sure, But as always, I always feel like my performances are more than just goals, both with and without the ball. So, if we get three wins and I don't score, I'll be happy and the coach will be happy so that's the most important thing."
DID YOU KNOW?
While Kane has faced criticism for his performances on the biggest stages, his overall record at Bayern Munich is nothing short of remarkable. Since joining the club in 2023 for a €100 million transfer fee, the former Tottenham Hotspur striker has netted 64 goals in just 63 appearances across all competitions. He currently leads the Bundesliga scoring charts with 14 goals this season. Yet, Kane’s first year in Bavaria was bittersweet. Despite an impressive tally of 44 goals, Bayern Munich failed to secure the Bundesliga title for the first time in 12 years, losing out to an undefeated Bayer Leverkusen.