Vincent Kompany says Harry Kane’s wait for a trophy “kept him hungry” and believes his first silverware with Bayern Munich has helped push his form to the next level.
Bayern, who have won all 10 of their games in all competitions so far this season, have been ruthless in front of goal, already netting 25 goals in their first six league matches.
It is the highest tally any team has recorded at this stage of a Bundesliga campaign. They have also scored at least three goals in each of their last seven top-flight matches, and doing so in an eighth game would equal a club record set in 2005.
Kane has played a huge role in that; he has hit the back of the net 11 times in the league in 2025-26, setting a new record for this stage of the season.
He recently scored in six consecutive competitive matches, and if he nets against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, he would equal his personal record in club football (October-November 2023, also with Bayern).
“It may have helped that he didn’t win many titles, because it kept him hungry, Kompany explained.
“He’s developed, and he has to want to. I can’t develop a player of that quality on my own. We hope things continue to go as well as they have so far.”
Kane missed England’s 3-0 friendly over Wales during the international break through injury, before returning against Latvia and scoring a brace to help the Three Lions qualify for the World Cup.
The England captain has featured in all 10 of Bayern’s matches so far, but Kompany is not worried about overworking him.
“I’m not the national coach of England, Germany, or anyone else. Everyone can decide for themselves what to do with their players,” Kompany added.
“We all want them to be fit for the club and also for the World Cup. No one wins if the player isn’t healthy. And we mustn’t forget that Kane didn’t even play the first game, so he has had plenty of time to recover.”
Bayern (15 matches) and Dortmund (14) are currently the two longest unbeaten teams in Europe’s big five leagues, with Kompany’s side winning each of their last eight in the Bundesliga.
However, they are winless in their last three matches against Dortmund (D2 L1), their longest such streak since a run of five between 2010 and 2012.
Bayern hold a four-point lead over Dortmund at the top of the league table heading into the weekend, and know how valuable a win will be as they continue their title defence.
But the Belgian noted that “these top games against Dortmund are almost like their own cup competition”.
“I mean in the sense that it doesn’t matter if you’re on a run of five wins or defeats,” he said.
“You just want to win this game. I don’t want it to be reduced to a record or three points. We just want to beat Dortmund. It’s that simple.
“We’ve got the motivation for this Klassiker – first against second, both unbeaten. We’re excited about this game. They’ve shown a lot of stability, have players who can always score. And they’ve got lots of experience at centre-back and in midfield.
“It’s various different qualities that make Dortmund a good Dortmund on the whole. But we’re at home and are really up for this game. Hopefully it’ll be a good game for the fans and a good result for us.”
