Wayne Rooney has disputed Harry Kane‘s claim that Bayern Munich’s incredible 5-4 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain featured “amazing defending.”
Kane scored the first of nine goals in the Champions League semifinal first leg at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday night.
But Kane was quick to praise the defensive side of the game, despite a European Cup record being broken for two semifinalists each scoring at least four goals in a single game.
“Even though there were nine goals scored, there was some amazing defending out there,” Kane told Amazon Prime.
“You’ve got the best players in the world. The best attackers, the best defenders. Of course, sometimes the attackers are going to come out on top and show their quality.
“When you go back and look at the centre-halves playing in midfield, playing in attack sometimes, playing out wide against the wingers… Credit to them. It’s a really hard job. I thought they were outstanding.”
But England and Manchester United legend Rooney disagreed with the Bayern striker.
“I love Harry Kane,” Rooney told Amazon Prime. “Everyone can see that on the words I say about him. But there’s no way he can be praising his defenders! Maybe because they are his teammates.
“He’s trying to give them a bit of confidence for next week. The defending from both teams was really bad, if he’s being honest.
“Both teams have so much quality at the top end of the pitch that they probably forgot to defend, that means we get to enjoy some great goals.
“But what the better players do is find a way through. When you’re playing against top attackers you need to adapt.
“You don’t hear defenders communicating anymore. You used to hear Jamie Carragher screaming at his defenders for Liverpool. It used to annoy me but it got his full-backs back in.
“You don’t get that level of communication now. That’s as a result of the coaching.
“It was a crazy and chaotic game.
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“Luis Enrique is a top coach so when they get the advantage of 5-2, I think he should have said: ‘Let’s shut up shop and get behind the ball.’
“But they went for more goals and Vincent Kompany has got a very attack-minded team.
“We saw some immature defending, which is crazy.”
The second leg of the semifinal, in Germany, is next Wednesday.
