Munich, Germany (AFP) – Bayern Munich and Harry Kane head to Inter Milan on Wednesday (Thursday 3am Brunei time) needing a victory to reach the semi-finals and keep their dream of playing in a home Champions League final alive.
Inter’s 2-1 win in Munich puts the Italians in the box seat to reach the Champions League semis for the second time in three years.
Despite a bulging injury list, Bayern had enough chances to win the first leg but failed to make their dominance show on the scoresheet.
It has been a familiar story recently for the German giants — and in particular star striker Kane.
With 25 minutes gone, Kane hit the outside of the post from just five metres out with only Inter ‘keeper Yann Sommer to beat.
In Saturday’s 2-2 draw against rivals Borussia Dortmund, Vincent Kompany’s men failed to make a glut of chances count.
If the German giants are to reach the Champions League showpiece at their Allianz Arena home at the end of May, Kane and the forward line will need to find their lost killer instinct.
In their past two games, Bayern have scored three times from 46 shots on goal.
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, centre-backs Dayot Upamecano and Hiroki Ito and wing-back Alphonso Davies will all miss the trip to Milan, hollowing out Bayern’s defence. Midfield creator Jamal Musiala will also be absent.
Under-pressure central defender Kim Min-jae, who was hooked shortly after a mistake leading to Dortmund’s first on Saturday, is still nursing an Achilles injury, but looks set to play on Wednesday.
Against Dortmund, Bayern finished with one fit centre-back on the field: English veteran Eric Dier.
Given the defensive woes, the need to convert chances becomes even more important.
Bayern and Kane had no trouble in the last 16 against Bayer Leverkusen, when the England captain scored three goals across the two-game tie.
The 31-year-old has 10 goals in 12 games this Champions League season.
Kane told reporters on Saturday his side were “dominant” but “were a bit wasteful with our chances” against Dortmund, as they had been against Inter in Munich.
“We just have to be more clinical. On another day we would have got three or four against them (Inter).
“It gives us confidence because we know we can create chances against them,” Kane said, adding “it’s about being there in the right moments.
“We didn’t quite have that in the past two games so hopefully we can turn that around on Wednesday.”
Bayern are chasing the romance of winning the title on home soil and hoping to exorcise the ghosts of their 2012 final loss to Chelsea in Munich.
Joshua Kimmich, often called upon to lead the side in Neuer’s absence, said “if we’re a bit more efficient, the game can go our way.
“It’s not like we need a miracle. We just need to win the game.”
To reach the semi-finals, Bayern will need a two-goal win, or victory by one followed by a triumph on penalties.
The Bavarians are not the first team this season to find it hard to score against Simone Inzaghi’s men.
Thomas Mueller’s 85th-minute far-post tap-in last Tuesday was just the third goal Inter have conceded in 11 games this Champions League season.
After a 3-1 win over Cagliari on Saturday, Inzahgi said of Wednesday’s return leg: “We’ve got to replicate our first-leg performance, playing with pace, aggression and organisation.
“We go into this clash with a lot of confidence, against one of the top three or four teams in the world.”
