'Love to see Harry Kane do it' - Peter Crouch on Champions League semi-finals as Real Madrid face Bayern

Former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch thinks Harry Kane and Bayern Munich will be denied by Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, adding "there's something cooking" at Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Next week sees the first leg of both Real Madrid v Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund v PSG, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

For Kane, it is his last hope of lifting a trophy with Bayern in his first season, where many had anticipated he would be a Bundesliga champion.

Instead, Bayer Leverkusen secured the title under Xabi Alonso for their maiden league triumph, and Thomas Tuchel's men must now get past the competition's most successful ever side if they are to stay in the hunt for a trophy in Europe.

Speaking on TNT Sports' coverage of West Ham v Liverpool on Saturday, Crouch hoped that his fellow Englishman would get through because time is no longer on his side.

"It's the clash of the titans: two huge giants of European football," he began. "For me personally, I'd love to see Harry Kane do it.

"For Real Madrid, they've just got the history, there's something special about the competition and the way they got through was unbelievable and you just feel they're going to go through, but on a personal level, I hope Harry Kane wins something.

"It's getting to that point where it's kind of eluding him and with the Bundesliga this year, it doesn't sit right that a player of that calibre doesn't have the trophies to back it up."

Crouch also discussed the other side of the draw, where PSG play Dortmund, and he first observed that the famous atmosphere in Germany could give the latter side the edge.

He said: "I think Dortmund's a special place and at home, they can beat anyone. Unbelievable, it really is. That galvanises you. In a semi-final, it's going to be electric.

"Jadon Sancho - had such a difficult season - the fact he's going to be in a Champions League semi-final, so many stories."

However, with Kylian Mbappe expected to depart for Real Madrid on a free transfer in the summer, Crouch believes it is destiny that the Spanish and French giants will be the two teams to meet in the final.

He said: "You feel like it's written for Mbappe. Rio [Ferdinand] said to me, 'PSG, it feels like there's something cooking there'.

"It could be Paris gets through, and we have that story in the final."

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.