“A brutal quality that is underestimated by the amateur”

A bench from the point: Harry Kane converts the penalty to make it 1-0 against Gladbach.
picture alliance/dpa

The kicker asked Joshua Kimmich after the 1-0 opening win at Borussia Mönchengladbach whether he was mentally celebrating before Harry Kane took a penalty; after all, a goal was almost guaranteed. “That’s crazy, a brutal quality that is underestimated by amateurs out there because they think that as a professional footballer you should put the ball into the goal from eleven meters,” was the 29-year-old’s answer.

The captain of the German national team gave the reason afterwards: “It’s not without its problems. I don’t know what the general success rate is. But it’s crazy to convert a house number, 26 in a row.” The success rate from the point is a good 75 percent, Kane Statistically speaking, one in four should shoot, but he hasn’t done so for a long time.

The last missed shot hurt

Kane missed his last penalty to date in the national jersey at the 2022 World Cup in the quarter-finals against France. However, this had bitter consequences. It happened when the score was 1:2 in the 84th minute, after he had already converted a penalty to make it 1:1. England was eliminated and once again had to bury their dream of the title.

For FC Bayern, Kane has never failed from a resting eleven meters; the last time he did this in a club jersey was for Spurs on the fourth matchday of the 2022/23 Champions League in a 3-2 win at Eintracht Frankfurt. The shot over the goal had no consequences; it happened in the 90th minute. Back then, too, he had already scored from a penalty earlier in the game.

Kane’s safety also brought the important three points against Mönchengladbach. The Englishman didn’t seem to be in great shape after the game and otherwise had no chance to score. And the teammates missed the best opportunities in spades. It’s good that the Englishman can be relied on from the penalty spot.

Eberl: “A lesson for young players”

It’s difficult for goalkeepers to read Kane, who has expanded his repertoire in recent times. He often looks out for the goalkeeper, delays, and then pushes the ball to the other corner. This brings back memories of Robert Lewandowski and his penalty style. But Kane can also do it hard and placed, top and bottom.

Not a natural gift, but the result of hard work. For Max Eberl, it’s a “textbook for young talents, because that too can and must be trained.” For Bayern’s sports director, Kane’s penalty rate is “extraordinary. At some point you gain such great trust.” That means: the shooter’s self-confidence meets the goalkeeper, who doesn’t make much psychological sense. The question remains how long Kane’s streak will last.