Ronaldo, Kane go head-to-head in CL
MADRID — For once, Cristiano Ronaldo won't go into his next match as the most prolific scorer.
Harry Kane has five goals after two group matches in the Champions League. Ronaldo has four.
They meet on Tuesday when defending champion Real Madrid hosts Tottenham in a matchup of Group H leaders.
Kane has the respect of Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane.
"Things are going well for him. He is a complete player and he is always working to get to the goal," Zidane said on Monday. "He has great speed and is good finding emptying spaces. But we know that Tottenham is not only about Kane. We will be well prepared for this game."
Madrid and Tottenham are tied on points, and have the same number of goals scored and conceded. Borussia Dortmund and APOEL are yet to earn points after losing their first two matches.
"This is the first final in this group," Zidane said. "It's going to be a good match for those who enjoy football. Hopefully we can come out on top."
Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino feels there's more at stake than just the group lead.
"It is a big opportunity for us to show that we can compete at this level," he said.
Goalkeeper Hugo Loris added: "It will be a great opportunity for us to challenge ourselves against one of the best teams in the world."
Tottenham hosts Madrid in the next round.
Ronaldo and Kane each have 43 goals for club and country this year.
The Englishman has 15 from 14 matches this season, and Ronaldo has 10 from 12.
Kane didn't score in Tottenham's 1-0 win against Bournemouth on Saturday, but he had found the net nine times in his last five matches in all competitions.
"Everyone can see Kane's one of the best players in the world right now," Pochettino said.
Ronaldo scored his first Spanish league goal of the season against Getafe on Saturday, giving Madrid a late 2-1 victory.
"We are very happy for him," Zidane said of Ronaldo. "It was good for him to finally score in the league. We want him to feel as comfortable as possible so he can keep scoring for us."