Harry Kane is finally closing in on his first major trophy, with Bayern Munich looking poised to reclaim their Bundesliga crown and still in the hunt for Champions League success.
The England captain, long criticized for his lack of silverware, has been in stellar form since moving to Germany. With 21 league goals and seven more in Europe, Kane has been instrumental in Bayern’s dominance.
A recent 0-0 draw against Bayer Leverkusen last season’s title-winners keeps Vincent Kompany’s side comfortably atop the Bundesliga, eight points clear with 12 matches left.
Next up, Bayern host Celtic for the second leg of their Champions League knockout play-off. The German giants, who secured a 2-1 first-leg win in Glasgow, are overwhelming favorites to progress.
Celtic have shown improvement in Europe this season, but Bayern’s attacking firepower, led by Kane and complemented by the likes of Michael Olise, Kingsley Coman, Jamal Musiala, Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sané, and Thomas Müller, makes them a formidable opponent.
While defensive frailties remain Bayern’s biggest concern, their home record in the Champions League speaks for itself 20 games unbeaten, with 16 wins. That streak is expected to extend to 21, given Celtic’s struggles away from home in Europe.
For those looking at betting odds, Bayern are 12/1 to win 4-1, while over 4.5 goals in the match is available at 13/8.
Kane is heavily favored to score, but Musiala who has netted 15 goals this season offers better value at 7/5 to find the back of the net.
On Celtic’s side, Daizen Maeda, who scored in the first leg, is priced at 6/1 to strike again. However, a Bayern victory seems all but inevitable.
Meanwhile, attention is also turning to England’s cricket team ahead of the Champions Trophy, where they are third-favorites at 13/2 behind India (7/4) and Australia (11/2). England faces Australia on Saturday, with the latter tipped as 4/5 favorites.
For individual accolades, Travis Head (10/1) is a strong each-way pick for top tournament run-scorer, while Arshdeep Singh offers similar value in the wicket-taking market at the same odds.
With Kane’s long wait for silverware seemingly nearing an end and major sporting action on the horizon, the coming weeks could be defining ones in both football and cricket.