Harry Kane wants Bayern Munich to respect Manchester United despite poor form (1 Viewer)

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane has acknowledged the challenging phase that Manchester United is currently going through. However, he strongly emphasizes that the German giants should not underestimate the Red Devils in their upcoming Champions League group-stage opener scheduled for Wednesday.

Kane was a prominent target for Erik ten Hag during the summer transfer window, but a potential move to Old Trafford didn't materialize. Instead, the striker opted to join Bayern from Tottenham Hotspur for a record-breaking fee of approximately £100 million in the Bundesliga.

Since his arrival in Bavaria, the 30-year-old has enjoyed a promising start, netting four goals in as many Bundesliga matches, including a goal in the recent 2-2 draw against Bayer Leverkusen. In contrast, Manchester United has endured a dismal beginning to the new season, with three losses in their first five Premier League matches. This marks the first time in the Premier League era that they have faced such a challenging start, culminating in a disappointing 3-1 home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.

Summer signing Rasmus Hojlund, a £72 million acquisition from Atalanta BC, made his full debut for Manchester United in the Brighton game. Despite nearly securing his first goal for the club, which was denied by VAR, he was substituted just after the hour mark. This decision was met with boos from the Old Trafford crowd, as they sought an equalizer.

Both Kane and Hojlund are poised to go head-to-head when Bayern hosts Manchester United at the Allianz Arena for their Group A opener in the Champions League this Wednesday. Despite Hojlund's less-than-stellar start to the season, Bayern's new No.9 anticipates a challenging contest against a familiar opponent.

"[I am expecting] a difficult game," the England captain told Sports Illustrated. "I know Manchester United are having a difficult moment at the moment, but sometimes teams like that are dangerous because they're always looking to come back in a big way.

"We have to be prepared for them and of course we want to get the crowd behind us as early as possible on Wednesday in front of our home crowd and approach the game with a lot of intensity.

"The Champions League is always special and my first game with Bayern Munich will stay with me – so I hope it goes well."

Kane has said good things about the job Thomas Tuchel is doing as the head coach at Bayern. He added:

"He's a really good guy and has great ideas about how we want to play and line up.
"Our relationship is good and I think it will continue to develop over time as we get to know each other better. He is one of the top coaches in the world and pushes me – and all the other players – to improve."