Kane warms up for ‘battle of the best’
THE world’s best player against the world’s best striker.
That is how Wednesday’s Champions League clash between Lionel Messi and Harry Kane is being billed by Tottenham goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga.
Gazzaniga remembers watching Messi, below, explode onto the world stage with Barcelona when he was a child in Argentina and says he is his hero.
He says there is no point trying to prepare for the mercurial Messi because his genius is his unpredictability.
“We know Messi is the best in the world,” said Gazzaniga. “That means he is unpredictable, so you have to keep focused. That’s the only way to approach this game.
“He’s a hero for me and I’m very proud of him because he represents our country around the world. It’s amazing to have a player like this and I don’t understand how people in Argentina sometimes criticise him.”
Gazzaniga, who made a couple of fine saves against Huddersfield in only his fourth Spurs game, is just as awed by Kane, who scored twice against Huddersfield to look more like his old lethal self.
The England captain now has 145 goals to overtake Jermain Defoe and move to fifth in the club’s all-time list, and Gazzaniga said: “He is the best striker in the world.
“To have a player like Harry Kane is unbelievable because he gives us security. He makes us feel safe because he has character.
“He works hard like a midfielder. During the times when we have to defend or fight for the ball, he’s first there
HUDDERSFIELD
because that’s his mentality.”
It says it all about Huddersfield’s struggles at home that Kane is now the top Premier League scorer at the John Smith’s Stadium with four goals in his two appearances there.
His first was a routine header from Kieran Trippier’s pinpoint cross before he scored a penalty awarded for a dubious foul by Florent Hadergjonaj on Danny Rose.
Huddersfield remain bottom of the table without a win but Laurent Depoitre says they refuse to get down about it.
David Wagner’s Terriers have just two points and have gone a record-equalling six home games without scoring since April 14.
The last time they suffered such a goal drought was in 1971-72 when they were last relegated from the top flight.
Belgian striker Depoitre, who volleyed against Tottenham bar, said: “We have to stay positive. We have to forget this loss and move on to the next game.
“There are still a lot of games to come and if we continue to play like that, I’m sure the points will come.”
HUDDERSFIELD (3-5-1-1):