Thomas Tuchel expects Eintracht Frankfurt manager Dino Toppmoller to exploit his inside knowledge of the Bayern Munich players this weekend.

German champions Bayern return to action after the postponement of last weekend’s clash with Union Berlin as they travel to Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Toppmoller was a member of the Bayern backroom staff under current boss Tuchel’s predecessor Julian Nagelsmann before he was sacked in March.

“We haven’t made too many changes since and so he’s going to look back on our recent games and analyse them,” Tuchel told reporters at his pre-match press conference.

“But that is nothing unusual. We cannot leave out every player that worked with him because we wouldn’t have a team then! It’s part of the business.”

Frankfurt appointed 43-year-old Toppmoller in the summer and Tuchel has been impressed with his start in the job.

Frankfurt head into the weekend’s fixtures seventh in the table, 14 points behind second-placed Bayern, who have also played a game fewer.

“I think you can tell his style of playing,” said former Chelsea manager Tuchel.

“They’re just missing the results but, when we were analysing the games, we couldn’t really see the defeats and that is definitely credit to him.

“I’ve only heard good feedback about him here from the staff, from the players and it’s good that he’s going about his business. He’s going to make life difficult for us.”

Tuchel feels his players are raring to go after the frustration of last week’s cancellation due to heavy snow in Munich.

He said: “We wanted to up the ante against Union Berlin with more aggression and investing more. We were ready until everything was called off.

“Now it is our job to really keep the level up. It was unusual but these are things you cannot change. We’ve trained intensively and aggressively. Now we want to take the next step and win.”

Forward Jamal Musiala is back in contention for Bayern after a month on the sidelines but is not ready to play a full 90 minutes. Matthijs De Ligt and Bouna Sarr remain on the sidelines but Tuchel otherwise has a fully-fit squad available.

Bayern this week announced a deal to sign 22-year-old Spanish winger Bryan Zaragoza from Granada next summer.

Tuchel said: “We’ve signed up a very young and hungry player. He’s a good dribbler, strong in one-on-ones. He has a lot of confidence and hunger. We’re glad he’s coming to us.”

Bayern Munich have agreed a five-year deal to sign Bryan Zaragoza from Granada ahead of the 2024-25 season.

The 22-year-old Spain international joined the LaLiga side from Conejito de Malaga in 2019 and began his senior career on loan for a season with Ejido before returning to Granada, where he has so far made 51 appearances during his time there.

This season he has featured in 14 league games for Granada, who are currently second-from-bottom in the table, scoring five goals and providing two assists.

He made his senior Spain debut in October against Scotland in the Euro 2024 qualifiers and Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund revealed the forward has been on the club’s radar.

Speaking about the move, Freund said: “Bryan Zaragoza is an explosive, very quick and extremely nimble winger, who can play on either side. He’s unpredictable, can score and is very good one-on-one.

“He’s already made his senior debut for Spain this year and has a lot of potential. Bryan is one of Spain’s up-and-coming players and has been on our radar for a while.

“He’ll increase our attacking options. We wish him the best of luck for the rest of the season with Granada and look forward to him joining us in the summer.”

Harry Kane’s pursuit of more Bundesliga goals will have to wait after Bayern Munich’s game with Union Berlin was postponed due to snow.

There was a heavy downfall in the Munich area overnight and it is expected to continue throughout the day, meaning the decision was made to call the game off.

Kane has been insatiable for Bayern, bagging 18 goals in 12 games and last week became the highest-scoring Englishman in a single season in the Bundesliga.

Bayern were looking to regain top spot in the table ahead of Bayer Leverkusen, who play Borussia Dortmund on Sunday.

A statement from Bayern read: “Bayern’s Bundesliga game against Union Berlin, originally scheduled for 15:30 CET today at the Allianz Arena, has been postponed due to heavy snow overnight.

“The snowfall is also not forecast to end until Saturday evening. Even if it had been possible to get the pitch at the Allianz Arena in a condition that would have allowed the match to go ahead by the afternoon, safety risks and the traffic situation made cancellation unavoidable.

“Snow falling from the roof at the Allianz Arena poses an incalculable risk for spectators. In addition, it is almost impossible to get to the stadium.

“Countless buses and trains are cancelled, many roads and motorways are completely closed, the underground line U6, which runs to Frottmaning and the Allianz Arena, has been suspended.

“The Munich police recommend that people do not leave their homes. Under these conditions, it cannot be guaranteed that the necessary security personnel will be able to reach the Allianz Arena.”

Thomas Tuchel wants his Bayern Munich team to “take it up a notch” when they face Bundesliga strugglers Union Berlin on Saturday.

Bayern are unbeaten in all 12 of their league matches this season and sit two points off leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

They face a Union side who recently hired new manager Nenad Bjelica and find themselves in the relegation zone, having lost nine of their last 10 games.

Tuchel called for a reaction from his players after Bayern’s midweek 0-0 draw with Copenhagen in the Champions League.

“They’ve changed the formation to a 4-1-4-1 (Union),” Tuchel told a press conference.

“You can’t read too much into their game (1-1 draw against Braga) because there was an early red card. We’ll also look at games involving the clubs he’s coached previously.

“We have to concentrate on ourselves and do things better. We want to take it up a notch. The main attention is on us.”

Bayern left-back Alphonso Davies has recently been linked with a move away from the Allianz Arena.

Tuchel lauded the Canada international, highlighting him as a “key player” for the German champions.

“He’s our player and an absolutely key player,” Tuchel added.

“He knows how highly we value him. For me, how long the player is under contract doesn’t change anything.

“He’s playing regularly at the highest level. I trust the management. He’s still a very young player, which we often forget. He has room for improvement in every area, but all at an extremely high level.”

Midfielder Leon Goretzka has previously featured as a centre-back and Tuchel talked up the player’s versatility.

He said: “You can’t overstate it. We moved Leon from the centre of midfield to centre-back in the final training session. He did it very well. His best position is when he can use his running strength between the boxes.

“He’s had very good performances in midfield and that’s still where we see him. Every time he’s played at centre-back, he’s played well.”

Referee Stephanie Frappart overturned a late penalty for Bayern Munich to ensure they were held to a goalless draw by Copenhagen in the Champions League.

The Group A fixture at Allianz Arena was not without controversy after Frappart pointed to the spot in the second minute of added time when the ball hit the arm of Peter Ankersen, but the French official was told to look at the incident on the pitchside monitor by VAR and changed her decision.

It occurred minutes after Bayern captain Manuel Neuer had made a superb double save to deny Mohamed Elyounoussi after Copenhagen produced an excellent display, although the post-match focus centred on Frappart.

Frappart’s decision to subsequently not give the spot-kick occurred 24 hours after Paris St Germain were given a controversial penalty against Newcastle in similar circumstances, but the draw did boost Copenhagen’s hopes of finishing second behind Bayern in the group.

Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel had confirmed on Tuesday that Thomas Muller would earn a rare start and he was one of four changes made from Friday’s win over Cologne, but Harry Kane still led the line for the home side.

While Bayern already had a place in the knockout phase assured, they were eager to keep up their perfect record.

Copenhagen had other ideas, especially after Galatasaray and Manchester United shared the spoils in the early kick-off, and the visitors had the first effort of note, but defender Denis Vavro dragged well wide from 35 yards.

The first opening for Bayern arrived 60 seconds later in the 14th minute when Muller’s header dropped for 18-year-old forward Mathys Tel, but he sliced wide.

Chances remained limited with the home team struggling to get out of second gear, although Raphael Guerreiro fired wide from a corner midway through the first half.

Tuchel would have been growing frustrated, but breathed a sigh of relief in the 27th minute when Copenhagen squandered a golden opportunity.

A skilful flick by Viktor Claesson sent Lukas Lerager away inside the area, but the midfielder cut back and teed up youngster Roony Bardghji, who curled wide from 14 yards.

It should have resulted in the breakthrough and Copenhagen were indebted to goalkeeper Kamil Grabara on the half-hour.

Bayern full-back Konrad Laimer got to the byline and his cross was headed back across goal by Tel, but Muller’s close-range header was brilliantly clawed away by Grabara.

The half-time sentiments of Tuchel failed to have the desired effect initially with Diogo Goncalves curling wide in the 47th minute for Copenhagen.

A chance was fashioned for the hosts just past the hour mark when Alphonso Davies laid into the path of Tel, but he sliced off target under pressure from Rasmus Falk.

Tuchel had already seen enough and that miss proved Tel’s last involvement with Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry sent on with 26 minutes left.

Copenhagen remained a threat with Neuer forced to parry wide an effort by substitute Elias Achouri before Kane did finally get a sight at goal.

Kane let fly from 22 yards but his firm drive was pushed over by Grabara in the 68th minute.

Grabara looked to have made another stop four minutes later from a Sane free-kick, but a goal kick was awarded and Bayern substitute goalkeeper Sven Ulreich was shown a yellow card by Frappart amid whistles from the Munich supporters.

More whistles occurred with 84 minutes on the clock when Muller went down twice in quick succession in the area and yet both hopeful penalty appeals were waved away.

There was still time for Neuer to show his class with a fine save to thwart a header by Elyounoussi before the follow-up shot by the ex-Celtic attacker was also blocked by the Bayern captain, with Frappart overturning the stoppage-time penalty given after Frans Kratzig’s pass hit Ankersen’s arm.

Thomas Tuchel insists Bayern Munich do not see it as job done in the Champions League despite having secured top spot in their group with two matches remaining.

Bayern host Copenhagen on Wednesday knowing progress to the knockout stage is assured but they want to maintain their momentum, as well as extend their proud record of having won 17 consecutive group games.

“It’s still a Champions League game,” Tuchel told a press conference when asked if he would rotate his squad.

“We are on a roll and we are having results and we don’t want to interrupt this phase because the management of workload is not too difficult. We now have a longer break from Friday to Wednesday.

“We are discussing it. We’re certain of being top in the group but we don’t want to send the signal that it’s not that important to us.

“If we make changes then it is in order to keep that bite, to keep that hunger high and to give players an opportunity that were patient, that were really pushing for their places.”

Bayern announced ahead of the game that veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who has made a strong comeback from a broken leg, and his understudy Sven Ulreich have both signed new one-year deals, keeping them at the club until June 2025.

Neuer, who joined the club from Schalke in 2011, said on fcbayern.com: “I’m happy to be staying at FC Bayern for another year. After my long injury, I’m back in full swing.

“It’s immense fun for me to be on the pitch with this team. I’m sure that, together with the fans, we can achieve our big goals in the coming years – and obviously the 2025 Champions League final in Munich is one of them.

“Knowing that I still have Sven by my side makes it even nicer.”

Tuchel was asked during his press conference about another long-serving Bayern stalwart, Thomas Muller, who has started only five games this season.

“He knows that he has the chance and he knows that I really rate him highly,” said Tuchel of the 34-year-old.

“He has my respect. Thomas is a playing legend at Bayern Munich. The players that play more really play very well at this time.

“Choupo (Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting) is a different type of player and we wanted to give him a chance. He is working hard to win games for us as well.

“Thomas should play from the start tomorrow. He’s obviously not happy, nobody’s happy at Bayern Munich when he’s sitting on the bench, but Thomas will be a special player.”

Copenhagen currently sit second in the group but are level on points with Galatasaray and only one ahead of Manchester United.

Harry Kane continued his record-breaking form by becoming the highest scoring Englishman in a single Bundesliga season with the winner in Bayern Munich’s 1-0 victory at struggling Cologne.

England captain Kane claimed his 18th goal of the season courtesy of a first-half tap-in to fire Bayern to the top of the table, above Bayer Leverkusen.

The 30-year-old striker’s remarkable tally is one more than Kevin Keegan managed for Hamburg in the 1978-79 campaign and the total Jadon Sancho registered for Borussia Dortmund in 2019-20.

His haul has come in just 12 league games since his big-money summer switch from Tottenham, while he has registered 22 goals in 17 outings in all competitions.

Thomas Tuchel’s side dominated proceedings against a team who remain second-bottom but squandered a host of chances to make the scoreline more emphatic, with Leroy Sane particularly culpable.

Unbeaten Bayern were back at RheinEnergieStadion for the first time since dramatically snatching the Bundesliga title from Dortmund on the final day of last season.

They began with purpose and were almost gifted an early lead when Cologne defender Timo Hubers inadvertently diverted the ball on to the outside of his own post with Kane waiting to pounce following fine work for Sane.

Former Manchester City forward Sane then failed to lift the ball over home goalkeeper Marvin Schwabe after being sent through on goal and later scuffed wastefully wide.

Kane’s decisive 20th-minute finish came between those golden chances.

He calmly slotted home on the rebound after Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s initial effort was blocked on the line by Julian Chabot to cap a swift Bayern counter-attack, started by Konrad Laimer’s interception.

Choupo-Moting almost doubled the lead two minutes later when he was denied by Schwabe.

Lowly Cologne, whose only win of the season was a 3-1 success over Borussia Monchengladbach on October 22, offered little from an attacking perspective in the opening period.

Visiting goalkeeper Manuel Neuer had to be alert to repel Rasmus Carstensen’s close-range header but the visitors were relatively untroubled.

For all of Bayern’s control, head coach Tuchel would have been eager to grab a second to secure the points.

However, chances were scant in a largely-forgettable second period which lacked tempo.

Sane saw a powerful effort blocked behind by Chabot, before Kingsley Coman headed against the crossbar from the resulting corner.

Bayern’s failure to kill off the game gave Cologne a glimmer of hope of snatching an unlikely draw going into the closing stages.

Yet the away side comfortably held on to move to the summit as the prolific Kane once again grabbed the headlines.

Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel is the latest high-profile manager to take issue with the football calendar after admitting his players are physically and mentally tired.

Tuchel’s mood has not been helped by the Bundesliga scheduling their fixture at Cologne for Friday night.

Pre-weekend matches in Germany are generally designed to help teams with Champions League fixtures the following week but coming immediately off the back of an international break does not appear to have done Bayern too many favours.

“People want to see the best players play football with joy and desire,” Tuchel told a press conference.

“The calendar is at the absolute limit, if not over it. The boys are tired. They’re mentally tired, they’re emotionally tired, they’re physically tired.

“There are two more Champions League games next year, there’s a tournament in the summer (Euro 2024), that’s just at the limit.”

Some of Tuchel’s internationals only arrived back in Munich on Thursday, just 24 hours before kick-off.

“It’s our second Friday match. Minjae Kim and Alphonso Davies are only back from their travels today,” he added.

“It’s very unfortunate scheduling, particularly in a sporting sense, but it shouldn’t be an excuse. I don’t want to go on about it.

“We’ve opted for a short trip on Friday morning so that the players can sleep at home. We want to win and we’ll prepare to do that.”

Tuchel will be without defender Matthijs de Ligt and forward Jamal Musiala while defender Raphael Guerreiro is a doubt with a minor problem.

“We’re looking closely at which internationals have had a big workload like Konrad Laimer, Minjae Kim or Alphonso Davies. We’ll decide late on the line-up for tomorrow,” said Tuchel.

Veteran forward Thomas Muller is in the final year of his contract and has seen reduced playing time this season but the 34-year-old has stressed he wants to continue playing next season.

Bayern are understood to want to keep Muller but they have yet to come to an agreement.

“We want him in the team. It’s clear he wants to keep playing. He’s a footballer through and through. Why shouldn’t he keep playing at the very highest level?” said Tuchel.

“I have a very positive impression of him. He’s in top shape and it’s all good. Thomas is a club icon, a living legend. He gets the maximum respect from us.”

Harry Kane continued his prolific start to life at Bayern Munich with a brace as the reigning Bundesliga champions held off a fightback from newcomers Heidenheim to claim a 4-2 victory.

Kane put Bayern in charge with two first-half goals – taking his tally to 21 in all competitions for the German giants – but the visitors threatened to stage a stunning upset as Tim Kleindienst and Jan-Niklas Beste struck within three minutes of each other after the break to draw level.

The drama continued as the hosts quickly regained their lead just minutes later through Raphael Guerreiro before Maxim Choupo-Moting’s header sealed victory for Thomas Tuchel’s men.

The three points sends Bayern top of the Bundesliga, one point ahead of Bayer Leverkusen who face Union Berlin on Sunday.

Bayern’s first chance came in the opening minutes following a Leroy Sane free-kick, which found Dayot Upamecano but the defender’s header flew wide and Sane went close himself just minutes later when his volley was blocked.

Kane’s impressive form continued as he put the hosts ahead in the 14th minute after Sane sprinted down the right flank to find the England captain in the box and he turned to fire into the corner.

Heidenheim had a chance to level moments later when Kleindienst smashed the ball wide and Sane nearly doubled the lead at the other end after being threaded through by Kane, but his effort flew wide.

Beste did well to cut in from the left but was unable to trouble the Bayern defence when his shot missed the target before Bouna Sarr had an excellent chance for the hosts saved by Kevin Muller.

Sane and Kane’s fantastic partnership struck again in the 44th minute as the winger’s corner picked out Kane in the box and he rose highest to head home into the top corner, earning his 17th league goal of the season.

Kane nearly claimed a third successive Bundesliga hat-trick in the 58th minute after Sane played him through but Muller did well to block the shot with his leg.

With Bayern seemingly well on course for victory, Heidenheim suddenly mounted a quick comeback with two goals in three minutes.

They pulled one back in the 67th minute on the break when Eren Dinkci picked out Kleindienst at the back post and he made no mistake this time.

The promoted side then equalised when a mistake from Bayern defender Kim Min-jae saw Beste pounce on a loose pass to fire over Manuel Neuer, but the frantic action continued as Bayern retook the lead two minutes later.

A brilliant cross by Konrad Laimer found Choupo-Moting and, although Muller reacted well to save his effort, Guerreiro raced onto the rebound to blast the ball into the bottom corner, scoring his first Bayern goal.

On the hunt for another treble, Kane fired over the bar before having an effort blocked but an unmarked Choupo-Moting put the game to bed in the 85th minute, nodding the ball into the bottom corner.

Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Real Sociedad all booked their places in the knockout stages of the Champions League with two games to spare on a dramatic night of European action.

Bayern made it four wins out of four in Group A but only after a frantic finish in their 2-1 win over Galatasaray.

The visitors had the ball in the net just after the hour but Lucas Torreira was offside, and Bayern took the lead when Harry Kane flicked in Joshua Kimmich’s free-kick with 10 minutes to go, with the goal awarded following a VAR check after initially being ruled offside.

Kane then doubled the lead with his 25th career Champions League goal, turning in Mathys Tel’s cross in the 86th minute, and they needed the cushion as Cedric Bakambu scored for Galatasaray in stoppage time.

Despite defeat Galatasaray remain second in the group after Manchester United suffered a costly 4-3 defeat in Copenhagen, blowing a 2-0 lead after Marcus Rashford was sent off.

Rasmus Hojlund’s early brace against his former club put United in control despite the loss of Jonny Evans to injury, but the night changed when Rashford saw red for a challenge on Elias Jelert following a VAR intervention in the 42nd minute.

Ex-Southampton forward Mohamed Elyounoussi pulled one back before Diogo Goncalves levelled from the penalty spot after a Harry Maguire handball deep into first-half stoppage time.

Bruno Fernandes restored United’s lead with a 69th-minute penalty after Lukas Lerager handled, but the Copenhagen midfielder made amends with an 83rd minute equaliser before Roony Bardghji won it four minutes later, leaving United bottom of the group before their trip to Istanbul.

Real Madrid cruised through with a 3-0 win over Braga. They overcame an early scare when Alvaro Djalo missed a penalty for the visitors after Lucas Vazquez fouled Cristian Borja just four minutes in, but once Brahim Diaz put them in front in the 27th minute there was no looking back.

Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo added to the scoreline with two goals in five minutes early in the second half, and there was no way back for the visitors.

The other Group C game between Napoli and Union Berlin ended 1-1 as David Fofana’s first Union goal – and the club’s first away from home in the Champions League – cancelled out Matteo Politano’s opener.

Inter edged out RB Salzburg 1-0 in Austria to secure their progress, with the game decided by Lautaro Martinez’s 84th-minute penalty after Mads Bidstrup handled in the area.

And that result also saw Real Sociedad go through from Group D after their 3-1 win over Benfica earlier in the evening.

Early goals from Mikel Merino and Mikel Oyarzabal had Sociedad in control after just 11 minutes and it was 3-0 10 minutes later as Ander Barrenetxea fired into the roof of the net.

Brais Mendez hit the post with a penalty just before the half hour and Rafa Silva pulled one back for Benfica early in the second half, but Sociedad comfortably took the points.

Arsenal are in control of Group B after goals from Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka earned a 2-0 win over Sevilla.

The Gunners top the group with nine points, four clear of PSV Eindhoven and Lens, who are level on five after Luuk de Jong’s 12th-minute header was enough for 1-0 win over Lens, who had substitute Morgan Guilavogui sent off late on.

Harry Kane’s late brace earned Bayern Munich a spot in the last 16 of the Champions League after beating Galatasaray 2-1.

A frustrating first half saw Bayern have the better chances, with Kane and Leroy Sane testing Fernando Muslera, but Galatasaray began to grow into the game after the break and had a goal ruled out for offside.

The hosts earned their reward with Kane scoring twice in the final 10 minutes and they saw out the victory despite Cedric Bakambu’s stoppage-time strike.

Bayern progress to the knock-out stages having won all four of their matches in Group A so far, while defeat leaves Galatasaray third in the table.

Bayern had chances early on when Sane cut inside and had his attempted cross deflected out for a corner before Kane fired from outside of the box, but Muslera did well to tip the powerful strike over the crossbar.

The goalkeeper was called into action again, smothering Sane’s effort in a one-on-one and another Bayern attack saw the winger slice the ball wide.

A good move on the right flank saw Kingsley Coman cut inside to find Jamal Musiala, but his shot just whistled past the bottom left corner. Sane came close again, but was denied following pressure from Sacha Boey.

Bayern were forced into an early change when Musiala was taken off in the 40th minute through injury, with Thomas Muller coming on to replace him, before a rare break forward just before half-time resulted in Mauro Icardi being denied by Manuel Neuer.

The hosts had a great chance to take the lead seven minutes into the second half when a great cross from Coman was deflected by Leon Goretzka and Kane came flying in at the far post, but smashed the ball off the woodwork.

Substitute Baris Alper Yilmaz came close with his header going over the bar and the visitors had the ball in the net after Lucas Torreira poked home, but the goal was ruled offside.

Kane eventually broke the deadlock in the 80th minute after a great free-kick from Kimmich picked out the England captain, who rose highest to nod the ball home and despite initially being ruled out for offside, the goal stood following a VAR check.

He earned his second six minutes later after a brilliant move saw Muller thread the ball to Mathys Tel on the left and his low pass across goal allowed Kane to slot home his 19th Bayern goal on just his 15th club appearance.

Bayern nearly added a third when a neat ball from Serge Gnabry found Muller, but his shot trickled past a post.

The visitors pulled one back three minutes into stoppage time after an excellent pass from Sergio Oliveira picked out Bakambu, who made a great run cutting into the right and fired the ball into the bottom corner.

Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel has backed Harry Kane to continue his remarkable start to life with the German giants.

The England captain scored his third hat-trick in Saturday’s 4-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund, taking his tally of Bundesliga goals to 15 from 10 games.

He has also scored twice in three Champions League group games and is set to lead the line again for Wednesday’s home clash with Galatasaray, with Bayern poised to book their spot in the knockout stages.

“You can’t rate it highly enough really,” Tuchel told reporters at a press conference. “It’s the first time that he changed clubs, he’s leaving his country to go into a new league, a new city, not only to him but for his family as well.

“I always knew what he’s able to do and I never really doubted that he would be able to score goals and assist goals, that he can do it on any pitch in the world, because he’s been doing it for more than 10 years.

“But still there are so many variables. If you work with him on a daily basis, his personality and his love for the game and the way he practises, he is a footballer at heart and it’s just great to see. And it’s going to stay that way. He’s at the right place now and it’s not the end yet.”

It is nearly three years since Bayern failed to win a group match in the Champions League, while they are unbeaten in their last 37 as they chase a 16th consecutive qualification.

Matthijs de Ligt and Raphael Guerreiro are set to sit out the clash but Dayot Upamecano and Leon Goretzka are in contention while veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is set to make his return to the Champions League.

The 37-year-old spent 11 months on the sidelines after breaking his leg skiing but has played in the last three matches.

He said: “I’m very happy to have played my first games again and I’m happy that it came out all right. Obviously the body is reacting to it, which is completely normal after such a long and heavy injury.

“I can only say that I’m feeling very well before the games, and then after the games I have to go to the therapist again and take care of my body. But I’m looking forward to donning the Champions League jersey again.”

Tuchel hailed Neuer’s return, saying: “It’s sensational. We really didn’t know whether he would be ready for midweek games.

“He absolutely knows that it is a bonus at this time and if he stays that way then he will get to his old strength again, maybe even better. He has not reached his limit yet but these are incredible first steps.

“He gives us the stability, the calmness, he leads with his own way. He makes his fellow players better. To have this happen that quickly is really extraordinary.”

Jan Vertonghen believes his former Tottenham team-mate Harry Kane could be the "missing link" that helps Bayern Munich back to Champions League glory.

Kane has enjoyed a superb start to his career with the Bavarian giants, scoring his third hat-trick of the season in Saturday's 4-0 Klassiker win over Borussia Dortmund, taking his Bundesliga tally to 15 after 10 matches. No player has ever scored more than 13 in their first 10 games in the competition.

He is already just one goal behind the number the 2022-23 top scorers managed (Christopher Nkunku and Niclas Fullkrug – 16), while he is halfway to the record for the most goals scored in a debut Bundesliga season, currently held by Uwe Seeler (30) in the 1963-1964 campaign.

His record-breaking form is giving Bayern fans hope that he can lead them to a seventh Champions League title and their first since the 2019-20 campaign, and Vertonghen, who reached the final of that competition alongside Kane with Spurs in the 2018-19 season, believes the England international can be the man to return Bayern to European success.

Asked if Kane could be the final puzzle piece to a Bayern Champions League win, Vertonghen, an Athlete Partner for APEX, told Stats Perform: "For sure.

"There's not a lot of great number nines at the moment – that's why Barcelona paid the money for [Robert] Lewandowski, that's why Bayern Munich paid the money for Harry.

"The young number nines are very rare – you have [Erling] Haaland, Gabriel Jesus. A lot of teams are looking for them.

"Harry was there, he's fit, he's got a lot of good years ahead of him and for sure he could be the missing link there."

Kane's Spurs exit in August saw him end a 19-year association with the club, leaving as the club's record goalscorer, having found the net 280 times in 435 appearances in all competitions.

Despite Kane's departure, Spurs have started the season very well under new head coach Ange Postecoglou and will return to the Premier League summit if they can beat Chelsea at home on Monday.

Vertonghen feels Kane would not have taken the decision to leave Spurs lightly, saying: "On his side it wasn't a no brainer, because Tottenham is in his heart – he's a legend there, everyone loves him, born and raised in London. It wasn't easy for him to leave, Tottenham really wanted to keep him as well.

"But I understand why he did it. He plays now for one of the biggest clubs in Europe, he probably thought he had more chance of adding some silverware.

"It's a shame for Tottenham, it's a shame for Harry – especially now you see the way they're performing now, but nobody would have predicted that.

"Everyone at Spurs wants him to do well; he's a legend, a great guy and he never put a foot wrong for Tottenham. He never complained, even in the bad times, he was always there as a leader, so everyone just wants him to do well."

Harry Kane’s hugely impressive start to life at Bayern Munich continued as a hat-trick on his Der Klassiker debut sealed a 4-0 victory for the Bavarian giants at Borussia Dortmund.

Kane bagged his third treble in the Bundesliga in just his 10th match, taking his tally to 15 goals, as Bayern bounced back from their embarrassing German Cup exit to third division Saarbrucken in style.

Dayot Upamecano quietened the famously noisy Signal Iduna Park as Bayern made a fast start before Kane took centre stage, putting Bayern two goals to the good inside the opening 10 minutes.

The England captain then struck twice more in the second half to record a second successive hat-trick, having put three past Darmstadt last weekend while he did likewise against Bochum in September.

While Bayern sit two points adrift of league leaders Bayer Leverkusen, Kane’s display and his nerveless eye for goal was an emphatic statement in the defence of their crown.

After being rested in midweek, Kane was restored to Bayern’s starting XI alongside the likes of Leon Goretzka, Kingsley Coman and Upamecano, who gave the visitors an ideal start in the fourth minute.

Upamecano was filmed sharing a joke with Nico Schlotterbeck moments before the Frenchman got in front of his marker and headed into the net from close range from Leroy Sane’s teasing corner.

Bayern went two up in the ninth minute, with Kane bagging his 13th league goal in just his 10th match since swapping Tottenham for the Bavarian giants in the summer.

Kane put the finishing touch to a nice move which was started by Sane’s clever backheel before he collected the ball back and unselfishly squared for the England striker to tap into an empty net.

Goretzka tried an audacious overhead kick that missed the target and Bayern’s only setback of the first 45 minutes came just before half-time when Thomas Tuchel was booked for remonstrating with officials.

Dortmund almost ended a forgettable half – in which they struggled to contain their opponents – by pulling one back but Netherlands forward Donyell Malen angled his effort just over the crossbar.

Former Bayern defender Niklas Sule was introduced at the start of the second half in an attempt to shore up Dortmund’s defence, but they were soon on the back foot as Bayern again sprung out the traps.

Just seconds into the resumption, Kane’s pass played through Jamal Musiala, who was denied by the spreadeagled Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.

Bayern had the ball in the net again soon after through Coman, but that was chalked off because Kane was offside in the build-up.

Dortmund were offering not much in the way of a threat but the long-serving Marco Reus, on his 400th appearance for the club, forced a fine save with a turn and shot parried away by Manuel Neuer.

Another Musiala effort was kept out and while he finally breached Kobel’s defences after tapping in from Kane’s pass, the goal was ruled out for offside.

Kane ended any faint hope of a Dortmund comeback by bagging Bayern’s third goal in the 72nd minute, collecting Coman’s low cross, taking a touch to compose himself then sending Kobel the wrong way.

Kane had his hat-trick in the third minute of added-on time after latching on to Aleksandar Pavlovic’s through ball and finishing brilliantly to put an emphatic stamp on Bayern’s victory.

Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel insists no one is blaming each other for the shock German Cup exit to third division Saarbrucken but accepts it will take a while to process.

The Bundesliga champions head to Borussia Dortmund for Der Klassiker on Saturday and Tuchel admits their midweek embarrassment “doesn’t make everyday life any easier”.

“It takes some time to digest it. There is no reason to be resigned and point fingers at each other,” he said.

“We were obviously very disappointed. Nobody was shouting or blaming others. We were very disappointed because our goals were clear. We need to put it behind us.

“It is important that we stay together and keep calm. Criticism we have to endure. We know what we’re doing.”

Tuchel brushed off criticism aimed at him and his relationship with the squad.

“You can’t expect eulogies. You obviously get criticism. When you sign on at Bayern, you do so to compete for every title,” he added.

“We know where we are and that we want to be better. I take defeats very personally. We have to stand together and keep going.

“I’m part of a team and a great club. I’m a part of it when we win and a part of it when we lose.

“It’s all good with the internal relationship, otherwise we wouldn’t be capable of playing a season like we’re doing now.

“And a defeat, no matter how painful, won’t change that now. It’s about staying together.”

Tuchel has a number of selection problems to cope with as his second-placed side attempt to extend their two-point advantage over their long-term rivals, currently fourth.

A knee problem sustained by Matthijs de Ligt on Wednesday means he could be short at centre-back with Dayot Upamecano not match fit having not played for a month because of a hamstring injury.

Leon Goretzka is undergoing surgery on a broken hand a fortnight ago, while forward Thomas Muller is suspended.

Tuchel explained: “Despite the importance of the match it is not a Champions League semi-final. We’ve got to think about the season as a whole,” said the former Dortmund coach.

“There’s no thinking about bringing in other people right now. We’ll nurse Upa and hope that he’s back in action quickly. The loss of Matthijs de Ligt really hurts.”

Nevertheless, Dortmund coach Edin Terzic is wary of the threat Bayern still pose.

“I have rarely seen two bad games or two disappointing performances from Bayern in a row,” he said.

“Against us, their senses are always a little sharper than perhaps against one or two opponents in the Bundesliga. Now there’s probably a little bit of anger added to it.”

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.