Ex-Tottenham star Harry Kane gets brutal reminder before Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid clash

Ahead of the titanic Champions League semi-final showdown between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, former Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane has been accused of disappearing in crucial matches. The spotlight is firmly on Kane and England teammate Jude Bellingham as they prepare to take centre stage on Tuesday night.

Ex-Bayern stalwart Holger Badstuber, who knows a thing or two about winning after clinching the Champions League with a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley in 2013, is backing England's skipper to step up and deliver the goods for the German heavyweights against the team that has lifted the European crown an astonishing 14 times.

Badstuber expressed his expectations: "Yes, there is pressure but when you think about great strikers, they perform in these matches. When you want to win the Champions League like Bayern, you need a player like Kane and in both semi-final matches, they will need his goals. That's why I think he's very important now and while there's a lot of pressure on his shoulders, I think he can handle it."

Despite Kane's impressive tally of over 40 goals across all competitions this season after leaving Tottenham in a £100m deal last summer, including a recent double against Eintracht Frankfurt, Badstuber suggests that the Spurs legend could have made a bigger impact in some of the defining moments of Bayern's Bundesliga campaign, reports the Mirror.

The ex-Germany defender added: "I think his impact has been great, especially at the beginning of the season. He quickly integrated into the team and also adapted to the German culture and that's not as easy as it sounds. But in the second half of the season, I think especially in the big games against Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen, his impact was not as big."

Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen have stormed their way to the Bundesliga title, leaving Bayern in their wake, who suffered a humiliating exit from the DFB Pokal at the hands of third-tier FC Saarbrucken. Bayern recently announced that ex-Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel will be leaving the club at the end of the season, with one year left on his contract.

READ MORE: Ange Postecoglou already has Tottenham solution to his James Maddison problem for Chelsea clash

READ MORE: What Vicario did to David Raya and Ange Postecoglou was only half-right with Tottenham statement

Despite a season to forget, Badstuber is optimistic about Bayern's chances in the Champions League after seeing off Arsenal in the quarter-finals, adding: "The Bundesliga was not very good from Bayern's perspective. There were a lot of ups and downs with the results but the Champions League is different. I think they have a chance to reach the final as it's also about momentum and now the momentum is there. They can beat Real Madrid."

You can listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham by clicking here or alternatively watch the show on YouTube right here, or via the embed below!

Want breaking and top Tottenham stories sent straight to you? Join our Spurs WhatsApp community by clicking this link. If you're curious you can check out our privacy policy here.