Kompany hopeful for Kane’s return as Alonso’s Leverkusen frustrate Bayern in 1-1 draw

Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany remains hopeful that star striker Harry Kane will recover in time for their second Champions League clash against Aston Villa, following his injury in Saturday's 1-1 Bundesliga draw against Bayer Leverkusen.

Kane, who struggled throughout the match and failed to register a shot on target, was injured late in the game at the Allianz Arena after a collision and limped off the pitch in visible discomfort. Speaking after the match, Kompany told Sky Sports, "I'm not a doctor, but I hope it's nothing serious. It's still early to say. Hopefully, he'll be fit for Wednesday."

The England captain's absence would be a significant blow for Bayern, who sit atop their Champions League group after thrashing Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 in their opening game, where Kane netted four goals. However, Bayern's sporting director, Max Eberl, expressed concern, stating, "It doesn't look good for Kane. If he's going off the pitch, it means something." On a slightly more optimistic note, Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen added, "He took a knock, but as the doctors have said, it's probably nothing serious. We'll have to reassess tomorrow."

Leverkusen, under the guidance of Xabi Alonso, delivered a resilient defensive performance that frustrated Bayern and ended their perfect start to the season. Despite Bayern dominating with 70% possession and 18 shots compared to Leverkusen's three, they were held to a 1-1 draw, with Aleksandar Pavlovic equalising after Robert Andrich's opener for the visitors. Pavlovic's stunning half-volley from 25 metres out was one of the few moments of magic in an otherwise tough contest.

Kompany, though disappointed by the result, saw positives in Bayern's performance. "As a Bayern coach, you always want to win, but the performance was what we hoped for. We won second balls, created plenty of chances, and the counter-pressing was positive," the Belgian manager remarked. "There are still many games ahead, and we just have to keep going."

Leverkusen, who now sit third in the standings, have maintained their unbeaten run against Bayern under Alonso, with the Spanish coach extending his record to four games without a loss against the German champions. Alonso praised his team's discipline and fighting spirit, saying, "The energy and belief at Bayern are different from last season; they're going full throttle. We were ready to suffer, and the team did that well."

Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka, who assisted the opening goal, echoed his coach's sentiments, emphasising the importance of their defensive strategy. "Our goal was to be compact and concede as little as possible. If someone had told us before the game that we would get a point, we would have taken it," Xhaka reflected.