For Harry Kane, the prospect of knocking out former club Arsenal from the Champions League carries an undeniable allure, even if a Gunners victory could inadvertently aid Tottenham Hotspur's bid for a seat at Europe's top table next season.
The Bayern Munich striker, who joined the German giants last summer after becoming Spurs' all-time top scorer, believes his former fans will be firmly rooting for him to end Arsenal's pursuit of a maiden European crown when the sides resume their finely poised quarterfinal tie on Wednesday.
"Of course I know there will be a lot of Spurs fans watching hoping Bayern Munich go through tomorrow night," Kane acknowledged. "I can't focus on that. All I can do is try and beat the team in front of us, and that's Arsenal."
While an Arsenal triumph would boost England's chances of securing an additional Champions League berth for next season - potentially aiding Spurs' qualification hopes - Kane suggested allegiances will lie squarely with his current employers at a pivotal juncture.
"There'll always be a reason to prove someone wrong or to prove to myself I can do something, so I don't think specifically back to that and think 'I was released when I was 9 years old, I really have to make a difference tomorrow,'" said the 30-year-old, who was let go by Arsenal's academy as a child.
"Now I'm here at Bayern Munich it's just about being a top team in the Champions League."
With the stakes heightened by Bayern's domestic disappointment after Bayer Leverkusen dethroned them as Bundesliga champions, the pressure is mounting for Kane and his teammates to deliver European glory.
"Of course, from the club's point of view it will be a failed season if we don't win anything this year because we're expected to win," Kane stated bluntly. "But all we can do is take that into next year and try and turn that around."
"The main thing for us is we still have an opportunity to turn this season into a great season if we win the Champions League. That motivation is still there."
Head coach Thomas Tuchel, who lifted the trophy with Chelsea in 2021, believes his side's pedigree on Europe's grandest stage could prove decisive, even as Arsenal relish their first quarterfinal appearance in 14 years.
"I think we have the slight advantage of experience in our team," Tuchel said. "We have players who have won it, we have players who have played decisive matches in this competition."
While conceding Arsenal's underdog status brings its own impetus, the German insisted: "Nobody will give us anything. It's like this in this competition. It's super tough."
For Kane, the challenge is embracing Bayern's lofty expectations whilst channeling the defiant mentality that fueled his ascent from an early setback at Arsenal to England captain and world-class striker.
"It's a time to raise our game, it's a time for me and the players who have been in big situations, pressure situations, to step up and be counted," he declared, relishing an occasion sure to resonate with fans of his former club, even if their motivations differ.
