Kane on another level after hat-trick heroics

Werner left dizzy by din in Besiktas

NICOSIA, Sept 27, (Agencies): Mauricio Pochettino praised Harry Kane after the English striker scored a perfect hat-trick for Tottenham Hotspur to give them 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 opponents in the competition are Real Madrid, who also have maximum points and the same goal difference in the group following two victories.

When asked whether Kane is on the same level as four-times 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.”

Germany striker Timo Werner has sought medical advice after he had to come off early in RB Leipzig’s defeat at Besiktas because of dizziness caused by the “deafening” noise from the crowd.

“Timo had circulation and breathing problems,” said Leipzig coach Ralph Hasenhuettl after the 21-year-old was hauled off on 32 minutes complaining of dizziness in Tuesday’s 2-0 away defeat. Hasenhuettl said Werner went to see a specialist doctor as soon as Leipzig returned home after Tuesday’s away

Tottenham Hotspur’s English striker Harry Kane celebrates after scoring during the UEFA Champions League football match between Apoel FC and Tottenham Hotspur at the GSP Stadium in the Cypriot capital, Nicosia on Sept 26. (AFP)

defeat and the striker is set to play in Germany’s key World Cup qualifier away to Northern Ireland next week.

Werner struggled with the intense noise from Besiktas’ fans at the Vodafone Arena and after ear plugs failed to reduce the din for him, he put his hands over his ears in clear distress before being taken off.

Hasenhuettl admitted the thunderous noise from the Turkish crowd was “It was a lesson for all of us. “I saw who I can count on in times like these.” The entire RB Leipzig team struggled with the din as first-half goals by ex-Liverpool winger Ryan Babel and Brazilian Talisca sealed the win which left Besiktas top of Group G.

“You don’t play every weekend against a backdrop where you can hear nothing else from five metres away. You couldn’t communicate on the pitch,” said defender Stefan Ilsanker.

Feyenoord’s naivety after a 15-year Champions League absence was cruelly exposed once more on Tuesday as Napoli pounced on the Dutch side’s mistakes and cruised to a comfortable 3-1 victory, coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst said.

“We were competitive for a long period of the game and were not inferior to Napoli but the outcome of the game was decided by personal mistakes,” the former Netherlands international told reporters. not. We have to keep on working.”

Asked why Liverpool had been unable to procure a second goal, Klopp replied: “It’s a big question.

“Because of a little bit being unlucky, good saves from both goalkeepers and wrong decisions in the decisive moment.

“That’s how football is. The only way you can change is to do it again, do it again, do it again, and that’s what we’ll do.”

Klopp’s “both goalkeepers” remark reflected the fact Spartak goalkeeper Artem Rebrov had been taken off on a mechanised medical cart mid-way through the second half, with Aleksandr Selikhov taking his place.

Rebrov sustained suspected knee ligament damage and will undergo tests on Wednesday.

Several Spartak players went down with cramp during the second half, but coach Massimo Carrera said that was more a reflection on the effort they had put in than their physical condition.

UEFA announced on Wednesday they had opened disciplinary proceedings against Spartak Moscow over the behaviour of their fans.

The Russian champions face charges of “illicit banner and chants”, the use of fireworks, and blocking stairways inside the Otkrytiye Arena.

Spartak were fined 250,000 roubles (3,600 euros) by the Russian Football Union (RFU) in July for supporters’ racist chants during the Super Cup against Lokomotiv Moscow.

Brazilian-born goalkeeper Guilherme, a twice-capped Russia international, was the target on that occasion, while former Zenit striker Hulk said in July 2015 that he encountered racism in “almost every game”.