Wayne Rooney sharply criticized Harry Kane’s glowing assessment of Bayern Munich’s defenders following their 5-4 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-final first leg. The high-scoring thriller at Parc des Princes showcased exceptional attacking talent from both sides, yet Kane spotlighted the defensive efforts.
Match Highlights
Bayern Munich fell short by one goal in a chaotic nine-goal encounter. Harry Kane opened the scoring with a first-half penalty, but PSG secured the victory. Bayern’s backline, featuring Jonathan Tah, Dayot Upamecano, Alphonso Davies, and Josip Stanisic in front of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, struggled amid the onslaught.
Kane Praises Defenders
In a post-match interview, Kane defended his teammates’ efforts despite the scoreline. “Even though there were nine goals scored, there was some amazing defending out there in the 1v1 battles,” Kane stated. “You’ve got the best players in the world. The best attackers, the best defenders. Of course, sometimes the attackers are going to come out on top and show their quality.”
He added, “When you go back and look at the centre-halves playing in midfield, in attack sometimes, out wide against the wingers, credit to them. It’s a really hard job. I thought they were outstanding.”
Rooney’s Strong Rebuttal
Former England teammate Wayne Rooney, serving as a pundit, dismissed Kane’s comments. “Listen, I love Harry Kane,” Rooney said. “But there’s no way he can be praising his defenders.”
Rooney suggested Kane might be boosting morale ahead of the return leg. “Maybe because they are his team-mates he is trying to give them a bit of confidence for next week,” he noted. “I think the defending from both teams tonight was really bad, so I think he’s being a bit modest there.”
Henry Embraces the Chaos
Thierry Henry offered a contrasting view on CBS, arguing that the entertainment value outweighed defensive lapses. “We were saying recently that we were seeing teams that weren’t taking risks, players who weren’t dribbling, teams that were playing not to lose instead of winning,” Henry remarked. “Tonight, there was a lot of risk-taking.”
“So if you were wearing your pro-defensive hat, yes, you might go crazy watching tonight’s match… But I don’t care. We’ve been complaining for a year or two that football is boring, and this match wasn’t! If we leave the professional side of things at home, I had fun, and I think everyone at home had fun too. It was just crazy.”
Media Buzz and Kane’s Record
French newspaper L’Equipe celebrated the match as ‘Football Total’ on its front page. In Germany, BILD’s sports editor described it as unprecedented, filled with amazement and disbelief.
Kane marked another personal milestone, surpassing Steven Gerrard’s record by scoring in six straight Champions League appearances. He also contributed significantly to Bayern’s second-half comeback from a three-goal deficit.
The return leg takes place in Munich next Tuesday, with the winner advancing to face the victor of Atletico Madrid vs. Arsenal, whose first leg occurs at the Metropolitano this evening.
