There is plenty of debate over who is the best striker on the planet, but for former Bayern Munich and Liverpool defender Markus Babbel, the answer is clear: Harry Kane.
The England captain has been sparkling for Bayern since his move from Spurs in 2023, scoring at an absurd rate.
The 32-year-old has netted 107 times in 111 games in all competitions, scoring 74 Bundesliga goals in 72 outings.
Kane also landed the first major title of his career as Bayern won the Bundesliga last season, ending a long wait for some silverware.
Babbel has been blown away by the Englishman, recognising that he doesn’t have the physical gifts of Haaland or Mbappe, but more than makes up for it with his intelligence on the pitch.
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The 51-cap Germany international, who won Euro ’96 with his country, feels Kane is a much tougher challenge for a defender than the Norwegian or the Frenchman.
‘Which of this trio – Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe – would I not have wanted to defend against as a defender? Clear answer: Kane!’ he wrote in his column for Kicker.
‘He’s the hardest to pin down. He’s neither exceptionally fast nor does he have an extraordinary physique, and he doesn’t stand out in the air either. But he has incredible game intelligence, which allows him to evade his opponents.
‘It would have been easier in the past. Back then, centre-backs were man-markers or even sweepers. They were allowed, and even encouraged, to track their opponents everywhere.
‘These days, hardly any player knows how man-marking works anymore, and since the switch to modern zonal marking, nobody really knows how or when to cover him.’
He added: ‘For me, Haaland comes after Kane. When he uses his dynamism and gets his body in the way, I don’t know where I’d be flying
‘If I could choose one teammate from the three, I’d also choose Kane. With his defensive attitude, he’s taken the whole thing to another level.’
‘They have not got the all-round ability that Kane has got’
Former Spurs and England star Glenn Hoddle agrees that Kane is the best striker of the three because he brings qualities that Mbappe and Haaland do not.
‘It is not only his goal-scoring abilities, it is what he is, he is a No. 10 as well,’ Hoddle told TNT Sports. ‘He can come off and hit passes.
‘Erling Haaland, you can say Mbappe, there are some wonderful players still out there, but they have not got the all-round ability that Kane has got. He scores goals and he makes and creates goals.’
from: elfutbolero.us