The Japan Times - 'Our year': Kane and Bayern primed for Champions League tilt

Bayern fell agonisingly short against eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain in a wild semi-final last campaign.

PSG won a manic first leg 5-4 and then frustrated Bayern in a 1-1 draw in the second in Munich to advance to the final, where they beat Arsenal on penalties to win a second straight title.

Bayern start their latest tilt at a seventh European Cup at home against Norwegians Bodo/Glimt on Thursday.

Those around the club, such as former midfielder and 2013 winner Bastian Schweinsteiger, believe only a lack of squad depth in what will be another a punishing season could derail Bayern's hopes of winning the trophy for the first time since 2020.

Coach Vincent Kompany has made the Champions League the team's target, alongside Bayern's almost default domestic dominance.

"The goals with Bayern are always the highest: winning the Bundesliga, winning the Pokal (German Cup), winning the Champions League –- and maybe even winning every game," Kompany told the club magazine in August.

Bayern have twice made the Champions League semi-finals in Kane's three years at the club, but no further.

Bayern were within touching distance of the final in 2023-24, but became the latest victims of a smash and grab from a title-bound Real Madrid.

Kane was substituted with Bayern holding a one-goal lead with six minutes remaining in the second leg, only for the Spanish giants to score twice in the space of three minutes to turn the tie on its head.

"Yes, we're really close," Kane told TNT Sports on Monday of Bayern's chances this season.

"I think last year was the finest of margins -- to go out to a team who has won the Champions League back-to-back. There's no shame in that.

"We're coming into this season now saying that it needs to be our year. We need to find a way to get it done."

- 'Luck at the right moment' -

The England captain has been part of plenty of near-misses in his career for club and country.

Long derided for a lack of team trophies, Kane has five since arriving at Bayern -- including two Bundesligas and a German Cup -- and said he now knows what it takes to win.

"It is not just about being the best team. Sometimes you also need a bit of luck at the right moment," Kane said.

Fortune with injuries could define Bayern's season.

Bayern made two major additions in the summer, opting for depth and versatility in what will be a punishing campaign.

In came Ismael Saibari, who can play anywhere across the forward line, along with Germany's Nathaniel Brown, who has been shifted between left-back and midfield this season.

Schweinsteiger said Bayern "will dominate the Bundesliga" but depth may still be a concern, particularly with the uncertainty around Jamal Musiala.

After collapsing in pre-season games, Musiala revealed he is suffering from a neurological disorder which can lead to seizures, but he was able to return without incident in Saturday's scoreless draw at Schalke.

"We have to see. There are some suggestions they may still be one or two players short," Schweinsteiger told AFP.

"The situation with Jamal Musiala is difficult, so it will be interesting how Bayern Munich manage it, because over the course of a season you need strong options from the bench.

"When I think back to the matches against PSG, their options from the bench made a difference in the second leg.

"Luis Enrique made excellent tactical adjustments in the second half of the match in Munich to win and progress.

"In matches like those, Bayern Munich may need to adapt their style of play, because PSG's attacking players, and indeed the team as a whole, pose a different challenge from those Bayern Munich usually face in the Bundesliga."

S.Yamada--JT