Vincent Kompany stated that Harry Kane performed ‘beyond the pain threshold’ in the match against Real Madrid.
Harry Kane competed while enduring pain “beyond the threshold” in Bayern Munich’s Champions League quarterfinal win over Real Madrid, as disclosed by head coach Vincent Kompany.
The England captain, aged 32, was reinstated to the starting lineup at the Bernabéu after recovering from an ankle injury, and he netted a goal as Kompany’s squad achieved a first-leg 2-1 victory.
The strike in the second half brought Kane to just one goal shy of reaching his 50th for the German club during what has been another impressive season.
Speaking before his team’s Bundesliga match against St Pauli on Saturday, Kompany stated: “Harry Kane was fine after the [Real Madrid] match.
“He played a bit beyond the pain threshold, but there was no reaction the following day, and that’s the most crucial aspect.”
Bayern’s success in Spain positions them as frontrunners to advance to the semifinals against either Paris Saint-Germain or Liverpool.
However, ahead of their return leg against Real at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday, Kompany suggested he may rotate his squad for the upcoming trip to St Pauli.
He continued: “We need to consider what we’ve accomplished this season, and we are only at this stage on April 10 because the entire team has contributed.
“If we make one or two adjustments, it’s merely a continuation of what we’ve been doing all season.
“In November or October, you might have questioned whether it was the right decision. But having reached this point, that question is no longer relevant.
“The competition within the squad is also intense. I am aware of that from my playing days. I value that we are elevating our standards. I am uncertain about who will play yet; I will contemplate that tonight.”
Bayern maintains a nine-point advantage over second-placed Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga as they move closer to securing a 34th league title.
St Pauli sits 16th out of 18 in the standings and has not won any of their last four matches.
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Nonetheless, Bayern had to net two goals in stoppage time to clinch a comeback victory against Saturday’s opponents earlier in the season.
Kompany added: “We hold a great deal of respect for St Pauli.
“If you examine the recent matches, they have consistently proven to be incredibly challenging.
“They defend very tightly and effectively. It can be perplexing to understand why they are positioned lower in the table. There is not much disparity between them and the teams five or six places higher, but three points will benefit us, and that is the most significant factor.
“Our objective is to consistently deliver our best performance. Achieving that is challenging since we have won 16 consecutive games this season. That sets the standard, and we aim to reach it again in the concluding phase of the season.”
