Harry Kane hit with 'big game' criticism as ex-Bayern Munich star warns there's a 'lot of pressure on his shoulders' heading into Champions League showdown with Real Madrid

The England international has been a revelation during his debut campaign at the Allianz Arena, with 42 goals recorded through as many appearances. Kane has, however, been unable to land elusive major silverware and European competition now presents his final route to tangible success in 2023-24.

Bayern will be looking to their prolific No.9 for inspiration against Real, but club legend Holger Badstuber has told The Mirror of the need for Kane to start delivering when it matters most: “Yes, there is pressure but when you think about great strikers, they perform in these matches. When you want to win the Champions League like Bayern, you need a player like Kane and in both semi-final matches, they will need his goals. That's why I think he's very important now and while there's a lot of pressure on his shoulders, I think he can handle it. I think his impact has been great, especially at the beginning of the season. He quickly integrated into the team and also adapted to the German culture and that's not as easy as it sounds. But in the second half of the season, I think especially in the big games against Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen, his impact was not as big.”

Kane will be coming up against another English star that continues to sparkle on the European stage, with Jude Bellingham breaking the 20-goal barrier in his first season in Madrid. Badstuber added on the all-action midfielder, who poses a serious threat to Bayern: “He has adapted very, very fast to the Spanish culture and the very special environment at Real Madrid. Bellingham is focused and we know about his potential but the development has been extremely fascinating for me because he is so tough and his playing IQ is very high. He is given huge freedom at Real Madrid, can play everywhere on the field and at the start of the season he was scoring in virtually every game.”

Bayern will play host to Real in the first leg of their epic Champions League showdown on Tuesday. The return leg, which will see a place in a Wembley final up for grabs, is set to take place at the Bernabeu next Wednesday.