Harry Kane was in some doubt heading into the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals against Real Madrid due to injury, but the England international only ever needs the slightest of openings to show his class. The man scored a banger of a goal with a flawless finished, curved around Antonio Rudiger to leave Andriy Lunin completely for dead, that eventually proved to be the winner.
Real Madrid need an answer defensively to this star studded Bayern Munich. Michael Olise completely ran the show against Alvaro Carreras, while Luis Diaz and Kane scored. There is hope for Ferland Mendy to make it back from injury as the defensive lock down option against the Bayern French right winger, but his return is not even the biggest one Real Madrid are hoping for to their starting XI on Wednesday night at the Allianz Arena.
Eder Militao returned from another big injury - this time a hamstring tear in December - to score off the bench in a loss to Mallorca over the weekend. He then also came off the bench with star midfielder Jude Bellingham against Bayern Munich, but the two were unable to turn the tide.
Eder Militao is ready for Real Madrid
Now, Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa has confirmed at the press conference before the Girona game on Friday night in La Liga, via the Madrid Zone, "Jude Bellingham and Éder Militão are now ready to start."
We all sow how Bellingham changed the game for Los Merengues against Bayern Munich, and it is amazing how forgetful people are about how much Jude helped the team in his first season at Real Madrid in 2023/24 when they won the Champions League and La Liga before Kylian Mbappe's arrival changed up the winning formula.
But regardless of who plays in the attack, nobody should have forgotten the impact Eder Militao has defensively. He is by far and away the best defender Real Madrid have, and there is a huge difference in the quality of this defense when he starts compared to the others. He is far more talented and consistent than even Dean Huijsen and Antonio Rudiger, and let's not even begin to compare him to David Alaba and Raul Asencio.
Militao is the one guy who can truly measure up to Harry Kane on Bayern Munich. There are far more threats for him to neutralize, including the goals Diaz is capable of scoring off the left, but Kane is going to be even more dangerous at home and in better health. Militao's return to the starting XI, which may happen against Girona but will now 100 percent for sure happen against Bayern, is the boost they needed to answer Bayern's own English superstar.