Kane’s Bayern to face Spurs in pre-season friendly Argentina roar back to beat Costa Rica 3−1 in friendly
LONDON: Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane is set to return to the Totenham Hotspur Stadium to face his former team in an August pre-season friendly, the Premier League club announced on Wednesday.
Spurs’ all-time leading goalscorer joined the six-time European champions for £100 million ($126 million) last year and was followed by defender Eric Dier, who made the switch to the German club in January.
The Visit Malta Cup clash will take place on August 10, a week before the start of the Premier League season.
“This mouthwatering curtain-raiser to the new season takes on extra significance, with the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, Harry Kane, and long-serving defender Eric Dier having recently joined the Bundesliga champions,” Totenham said in a statement.
England captain Kane has been impressive in Germany this season, scoring 37 goals in 35 appearances across all competitions.
He leads the Bundesliga goalscoring charts with 31 so far for Bayern, who currently sit second, 10 points off league leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
Last time Bayern and Totenham met was in the 2019/20 Champions League group stage. Spurs were beaten 7-2 at home before Bayern won 3-1 in the reverse fixture.
Meanwhile, Kane returned to team training on Wednesday while captain Manuel Neuer remains doubful ahead of Saturday’s home clash with Borussia Dortmund.
Bayern released a statement saying Kane “was able to take part in team training again”, having returned to individual training on Monday.
Neuer, who turned 38 on Wednesday, tore a muscle fibre on duty with Germany, missing both of his country’s friendlies.
Kane injured his ankle ater colliding with the goal post in Bayern’s 5-2 win over Darmstadt.
The England captain missed England’s friendlies against Brazil and Belgium as a result of the injury.
The 30-year-old striker has a history of ankle problems but last missed a match due to injury back in April 2021 with previous club Totenham.
Bayern said Neuer “completed an individual training session” on Wednesday.
Aleksandar Pavlovic, who was called up to the Germany squad for the first time in March but missed both matches due to tonsilitis, also trained individually.
LOS ANGELES: Angel Di Maria, Alexis Mac Allister and Lautaro Martinez rescued Argentina on Tuesday as the world champions came from behind to beat Costa Rica 3-1 in an international friendly in Los Angeles.
The South American giants, missing injured captain Lionel Messi, wrapped up their two-match tour of the United States with a deserved victory at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Lionel Scaloni’s side, who defeated El Salvador 3-0 in Philadelphia on Friday, dominated the opening 45 minutes and carved out a series of promising openings.
However it was Costa Rica who took the lead on 34 minutes ater a sweeping counter-atack.
Alvaro Zamora latched on to Manfred Ugalde’s pass and fired a low shot that was blocked by Argentina goalkeeper Walter Benitez. Benitez’s save however fell invitingly into the path of Ugalde, who bundled home the rebound for 1-0.
Argentina got back on level terms early in the second half with a superb equaliser from veteran Di Maria on 52 minutes.
The 36-year-old Benfica winger hit a superb free-kick from just outside the area which flew into the top corner beyond the reach of Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas.
Argentina made it 2-1 four minutes later from another set-piece.
Nicolas Tagliafico headed against the bar ater a corner and Liverpool midfielder Mac Allister reacted first to nod home the rebound from close range.
Inter Milan forward Martinez made the game safe in the 77th minute, latching on to a delighful through ball by Rodrigo De Paul before liting a det finish over Navas.
Meanwhile, Di Maria received a threat at his family home on the outskirts of Rosario, domestic media said, amid an intense wave of drug-related violenceinthecentralcityfromwhichmessialsohails.
Monday’s message, following a similar threat last year to Argentine captain Messi, came a week ater Di Maria, now playing for Portuguese champions Benfica, said he would like to end his career at his boyhood club, Rosario Central.
“Tell your son Angel not to come back to Rosario because we will kill a family member,” the message read, according to the news portal Infobae, which cited police sources.
“Not even Pullaro is going to save you,” it added, referring to the provincial governor, Maximiliano Pullaro. “We don’t leave paper notes. We leave bullets and dead people behind.”