Vincent Kompany could shuffle his pack when Bayern Munich visit St. Pauli in the Bundesliga on Saturday, after admitting Harry Kane played through the pain barrier in their midweek Champions League success against Real Madrid.
Bayern produced a fantastic display in the first leg of their quarter-final tie against the 15-time European champions, securing a 2-1 win at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Kane scored what proved to be the winner early in the second half, stroking home from outside the area for his 49th goal of the season in all competitions.
Since last summer's Club World Cup, the England captain has scored at least 10 more goals than any other player from Europe's top five leagues (Kylian Mbappe has netted 39 for Real Madrid), while he also has the most outright goal contributions with 54.
Kane is also looking to break Robert Lewandowski's single-season Bundesliga goal record as Bayern close in on a second successive title. He needs 11 more goals to overhaul the Poland international's return from 2020-21, albeit with just six matches to play.
Kompany admitted on Friday that the striker felt some discomfort in Spain, though he does not foresee any long-term effects, saying: "Harry Kane was fine after the game.
"He played a bit beyond the pain threshold but the next day there was no reaction, and that's the most important thing."
4 - Harry Kane has scored or assisted in four consecutive #UCL appearances against Real Madrid (2 goals, 2 assists), the joint-longest run by a player against them in the competition (also 4 by Giovane Élber in 2002 and P-E Aubameyang in 2017). Unfazed. pic.twitter.com/ciKAU9ZSwK
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 7, 2026
Asked more generally about squad rotation, Kompany said: "We have to look at what we've done this season, and we are only at this point on April 10 because the whole team has been involved.
"If we make one or two changes, that's what we have been doing all season. In November or October, you could have asked whether it was right or not. But when we've come this far, you can't ask that any more.
"The competition in the squad is also fierce. I'm familiar with that from my playing career. I appreciate that we're raising our level. I don't know who will play yet, I'll be thinking about that tonight."
While Bayern only need a maximum of 10 points to win the title, St. Pauli are scrapping for survival at the other end of the table, and they currently occupy the relegation-promotion play-off spot.
Asked about the challenge of facing Bayern, head coach Alexander Blessin said: "They're one of the best teams in the world at the moment. It's a pleasure to lock horns with them.
"We've got little to lose and we'll give it our best shot. We need to have a good day, though. Out of 10 games, they would usually win all 10, but maybe they'll have an off day for once."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
St. Pauli – Mathias Rasmussen
St. Pauli will be without their captain Jackson Irvine due to suspension, and among all midfielders with at least 1,000 minutes in the Bundesliga this season, only Koln's Eric Martel contests more aerial duels per 90 minutes (6.3) than Irvine (5.9).
They have collected twice as many points per Bundesliga game this season with Irvine in their starting line-up (1.2) as they have without him (0.6), so fellow midfielder Rasmussen will have to step up.
Bayern Munich – Tom Bischof
Bischof has scored six of his seven Bundesliga goals from outside the box – since the start of last season, only Kane (seven) has scored more long-range goals than Bischof.
In a dramatic 3-2 success against Freiburg last week, Bischof became the first Bayern player since Opta data collection began (in 2004-05) to score two goals from outside the area in a single Bundesliga game.
MATCH PREDICTION – BAYERN MUNICH WIN
Bayern have won 10 of their last 11 competitive matches against St. Pauli, with the only exception being a 2-1 away defeat in the Bundesliga in February 2002.
Next up: we travel North.
— FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) April 9, 2026
Looking to keep up the momentum in the Bundesliga! pic.twitter.com/aMTYMmcV0M
Previously, in their first 10 competitive matches against the Kiezkicker in professional football, Bayern had only managed five wins (D4 L1).
But, with 25 points after 28 games, this is St. Pauli's third-worst total at this stage of a Bundesliga season; only in 2001-02 (21) and 1977-78 (22 converted to 3 points per win) did they have fewer points at this stage.
However, St. Pauli have picked up four points in their last three Bundesliga home games against reigning champions, including a 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen last term.
Bayern should have too much for the strugglers, though, regardless of whether Kompany rotates. This will be the 500th 'Topspiel' match (late Saturday kick-off) to be played in the Bundesliga since its introduction in 2009-10, and St. Pauli have not won any of their five such matches (D1 L4) – only Bochum have played more without ever winning (six).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
St. Pauli – 14.6%
Bayern Munich – 65.4%
Draw – 20%