Spurs’ Pochettino hails Kane as ‘one of the best’ after hat-trick heroics
Mauricio Pochettino praised Harry Kane after the English striker scored a perfect hat-trick for Tottenham Hotspur to give it a 3-0 victory at APOEL Nicosia in their second Champions League match in Group H.
After scoring twice in the opening group stage win over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley, Kane added to his European tally with three goals in Cyprus using both feet and his head.
“He has unbelievable skills in front of goal. He is on another level. He is a killer, Harry has this special skill,” Pochettino said.
Spurs’ next opponent in the competition is Real Madrid, which also has maximum points and the same goal difference in the group following two victories.
When asked whether Kane is on the same level as four-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, the Argentine coach did not give a straight answer but did laud the Englishman as one of the best.
“He scored three goals, he is one of the best, he is unbelievable,” he said after Kane reached 34 goals for his club during the calendar year, three more than the Portuguese.
But Pochettino would not be drawn on whether he would swap Real Madrid’s mercurial number seven for 24-year-old Kane.
“Cristiano is fantastic and one of the best. Harry is one of the best and can improve because he is so young. Both are fantastic, they are the types of players you want in your team.”
Ronaldo brace hands Real 1st W in Dortmund
In other action, Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in his 150th European appearance to give Real Madrid a 3-1 victory at Borussia Dortmund, its first against the German side, and make it two wins out of two matches in Group H.
Ronaldo, who has now scored 411 goals in his 400 Real appearances, grabbed Real’s second of the evening after a fine effort from Welshman Gareth Bale, who had put his team ahead with a superb volley in the 18th minute.
The Spaniards punished the host for playing too high and found the gaps they needed to score. The Portuguese killed off the match, thumping the ball past keeper Roman Buerki in the 79th.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang briefly pulled one back in the 54th, but the Germans could not replicate last season’s two-goal comeback to draw.
Real, whose lackluster start in La Liga has left it in sixth place seven points off leader Barcelona, has six points, level with Tottenham. Bundesliga leader Dortmund is in joint-last place without any points, after losing its opener at Spurs.
“We knew after so many years we’d finally win here one day and today was the day,” said Real captain Sergio Ramos. “It was tough but we showed our personality and authority. We want to rediscover our best and I think tonight was a step in the right direction.” TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR forward Harry Kane celebrates after scoring the second of his three goals in in the 62nd minute of Spurs’ 3-0 road victory over APOEL Nicosia in Tuesday night’s Champions League Group H contest.
“We had our chances but Real did it really well,” said Dortmund’s Gonzalo Castro. “With players like Bale and Ronaldo they really know how to take advantage of the gaps. It is too dangerous against such teams to stand too high up the pitch.”
De Bruyne, Sterling help City sink Shakhtar
Meanwhile, Kevin De Bruyne’s perfectly struck 48th minute goal and a late Raheem Sterling effort gave Manchester City a 2-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in their Champions League Group F game on Tuesday, to make it two wins out of two for Pep Guardiola’s side.
But City’s Argentine striker Sergio Aguero missed a chance to equal the club’s all-time scoring record when he had a 72nd minute penalty saved by Andriy Pyatov. The miss left him one goal behind Eric Brook’s record of 177 goals in all competitions.
The Premier League leader now tops Group F on six points with Shakhtar and Napoli, both on three points, and looks in good shape to progress to the knockout phase.
After a frustrating first half, in which Shakhtar threatened on the break thanks to some clever moves by Brazilian Bernard while City struggled to find the final pass, De Bruyne broke the deadlock.
The Belgian unleashed a fine right-foot shot from the edge of the area after being well set up by David Silva with Shakhtar keeper Andriy Pyatov left helpless.
City should have added to its tally in the second half with Leroy Sane and Aguero both going close, but it was the two substitutes who combined to make sure of the win.
Sterling, who had missed a great chance from a low De Bruyne cross made amends in the final minute, when he fired home after good work from Bernardo Silva.
Guardiola said that the win had been a tricky one against a top quality opponent.
“We made an extraordinary performance, especially in the second half,” he said.
“Their full-backs are amazing players, they are fast, well organized defensively. We had a lot to do to beat them. It is a big victory for us. It is a tough time always to play Shakhtar.
“It is a top team. That is why I am so satisfied. We beat one of the best teams in the way they play.”
City, without injured left-back Benjamin Mendy, who is heading to Barcelona to have a knee injury examined, faces champion Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday.
Mendy is facing a lengthy absence out of action with the club suspecting his knee injury is worse than at first believed.
“The first impression is that it will be a little bit long, unfortunately longer than we expect,” said Guardiola, declining to give details of the injury.
Shakhtar’s Portuguese coach Paulo Fonseca was disappointed with the award of the penalty – when Sane went down easily as Ivan Ordets closed in and also felt his team should have had a spot-kick of its own.
But he said he was proud of the way his team had taken on the challenge at the Etihad.
“The team showed huge courage, we were very compact and didn’t leave many gaps for City and tried to attack when we had the opportunity.
“I always watch all the City matches and this year I don’t think they have played any teams that have caused them problems – so I am not happy with the loss, but I am happy with my team,” he said. (Reuters)