Things could hardly have gone much better for Bayern Munich in last week's UEFA Champions League Round of 16, first-leg victory against Bundesliga rivals Bayer Leverkusen. A Harry Kane double, along with Jamal Musiala's opportunistic strike, put the 10-man Werkself to the sword on a night of celebration for home fans at the Allianz Arena. bundesliga.com outlines five reasons Vincent Kompany's men will finish off the job in the second-leg against Germany's reigning champions.

Follow Bayern vs. Leverkusen HERE!

1) Kane ready to dish out more European pain

Wayne Rooney, Arjen Robben and Gerd Müller have been left trailing in his wake, and Ferenc Puskás is next in line. Kane's nine goals in the current UEFA Champions League season - including a double in last Wednesday's first-leg win - have him knocking on the door of the all-time scoring list in the competition (with 38 strikes), including its European Cup predecessor. 

The highest-scoring Englishman in the competition's history has shown again and again he can be counted on to deliver vital strikes on Champions League nights. Apart from his first-leg heroics, a four-goal salvo in the crushing 9-2 win over Dinamo Zagreb showed just how potent Kane can be in this competition. Borussia Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy is now just one goal ahead of Kane in this season's Champions League's top goalscorer race, and the Englishman will be determined to defend the crown he claimed last season. Helping Bayern into the next round will keep him firmly in the running.

Watch: Record King Harry Kane

2) Bundesliga Bayern's to lose 

Having developed such a healthy Bundesliga lead at the top of the domestic standings, last weekend's slip-up against Bochum failed to make a dent in Bayern's eight-point lead due to Leverkusen's loss against Werder Bremen on Matchday 25. Prior to Bayern's slip-up on Saturday, they lost just once previously in the league, against Mainz on 14 December.

The Bavarian giants' table-topping feats this term undoubtedly gives them a psychological edge against a Leverkusen side who look increasingly likely to surrender their Bundesliga crown with each passing week. That, added to a whopping 3-0 advantage, marks Bayern out as huge favourites to advance to the Champions League quarter-finals later.  

Vincent Kompany has seen his Bayern side open up a commanding lead in the Bundesliga title race. - IMAGO/osnapix / Hirnschal

Want more Bundesliga Action?

GET THE UPDATES!

3) Goals, goals, goals

Kompany has carefully moulded an ultra-slick, Bayern attacking machine this season. Should Kane have a rare off day, the likes of Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise are waiting in the wings to cause headaches for the opposition.

The 74 goals Bayern smashed in their first 25 matches of the Bundesliga season towers over everyone else in the division - with Leverkusen a distant second-best on 55. Meanwhile, only Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona boasted more than their 20 strikes in the league stage of the Champions League, and there is no doubt that, if everything clicks into gear in the second-leg in Leverkusen, Bayern are capable of firing their way to a big aggregate-score victory at the BayArena. 

Watch: All Michael Olise's Bundesliga goals and assists so far

4) Wisdom of experience

Bayern have progressed past the last 16 in each of the past five seasons; the first of which saw the Bavarians clinch the trophy in 2020 with victory over Paris Saint-Germain in Lisbon. Leverkusen, in sharp contrast, are currently contesting their first Champions League knockout tie since 2017.

That is far from being just fodder for the history books. The majority of the Bayern squad know exactly what it takes to finish off a knockout encounter in the competition, and several players - such as Joshua Kimmich, Thomas Müller and Kingsley Coman - are aware of the secrets to going all the way. Should things get a touch tense in Tuesday's return leg, that kind of experience can make the world of difference in a decisive moment or two. 

Manuel Neuer (c.) lifts the Champions League trophy in 2020, when Kingsley Coman scored the winner in the final. - Pool/Getty Images

5) Dahoam is where the heart is

While everyone involved at Bayern will rightly say they are focusing on each match at a time, there is a tantalising prize awaiting the club this season should they successfully navigate the knockout stages again. The Champions League final will be played at their very own Allianz Arena for the first time since 2012.

In addition to the prospect of having a familiar environment in their home city, there is a historical score to settle. Back in 2012 Bayern also made the final, in what became termed in Bavarian dialect as the Finale dahoam (home final), only to be edged out in the very narrowest of margains by defeat to Chelsea on penalties. While winning the competition twice since has clearly taken much of the sting out of that disappointment, Bayern's insatiable appetite for success makes the chance of putting that right this May a big objective - and that could well provide some extra drive to see them dispense with Leverkusen and march on to the quarters. 

About the clubs

FC Bayern München

Allianz Arena