Harry Kane Continues To Improve With Age, Vincent Kompany Remarks After Leverkusen Match

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Vincent Kompany praised Harry Kane's improvement with age after Bayern Munich advanced to the Champions League quarter-finals. Kane scored in the 52nd minute against Bayer Leverkusen and assisted Alphonso Davies, securing a 5-0 aggregate victory. Kane's involvement in 24 goals over 23 Champions League matches for Bayern is unmatched since last season began.

Kane has become the second English player to contribute to over 50 goals in the competition, joining David Beckham. His goal against Leverkusen was his tenth in this year's tournament, making him the first Englishman to reach double figures in a single European Cup or Champions League campaign. The 31-year-old has amassed 32 goals and 11 assists across all competitions this season.

Kompany expressed admiration for Kane's dedication and consistency. "It helps when you have a top player who wants to run and fight for the team like a youth player," Kompany stated post-match. He noted that Kane has improved with age, consistently delivering quality performances.

Kane also netted twice in the first leg against Leverkusen, setting up a quarter-final clash with Serie A leaders Inter, who defeated Feyenoord. Kompany commended his team: "A big compliment to the lads who delivered this performance." Before their recent victories, Bayern had struggled against Leverkusen, failing to win their last six encounters across all competitions.

Leverkusen had previously knocked Bayern out of the DFB-Pokal, but Kompany's squad responded decisively with their aggregate triumph. This victory marked Bayern's most significant win in an all-German tie during European knockout stages since they defeated Kaiserslautern 6-0 on aggregate in the 1998-99 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

Historic Aggregate Win for Bayern Munich

Their comprehensive win also represented Leverkusen's heaviest defeat without scoring in a European knockout stage tie. Only Barcelona inflicted a larger overall margin on them during the knockout stages of a European competition (10-2 on aggregate) back in the 2011-12 Champions League round of 16.

Kompany acknowledged that while these victories don't determine their season, they hold great respect for Leverkusen. "We did our work," he said. "We did it well in the first 20 minutes and had better chances." Their strategy was clear: dominate both halves of each match, which they successfully executed.