Harry Kane (32) and Eric Dier (31, both Bayern Munich) are finally close to lifting a trophy. They will also experience the '脱 Tottenham' effect.

Bayern Munich is smiling broadly. Their league competitor Bayer 04 Leverkusen ended in a 1-1 draw with St. Pauli in the 30th round of the 2024-2025 Bundesliga at the Millern-Tor Stadium in St. Pauli, Germany, on the 21st (Korean time), bringing Bayern closer to winning the league.

Second-placed Leverkusen took the lead with a goal from Patrik Schick but allowed an equalizer from Carlo Bukalifa in the 33rd minute of the second half, ultimately settling for just 1 point.

Leverkusen has suffered a significant blow in the title race with consecutive draws against lower-ranked teams. After drawing 0-0 against Union Berlin, they failed to secure a victory against 14th-placed St. Pauli in this round, widening the points gap with Bayern Munich to 8 points.

The Bundesliga plays a total of 34 rounds in a season. Currently, with 30 rounds completed, the points difference between Bayern and Leverkusen is 8 points. Considering the remaining number of matches, Bayern's title win is virtually certain, according to assessments.

As Bayern's league title approaches, it seems that Kane and Dier's 'curse of no titles' will finally come to an end. Both players had stellar performances during their time at Tottenham Hotspur, yet they are known as notable players who never lifted a trophy.

Particularly, Kane has repeatedly faced the pain of being a runner-up, despite ranking second in all-time Premier League scoring. He slipped at the final hurdle not just in the Premier League but also in the EFL Cup and UEFA Champions League. Moreover, he has experienced two runner-up finishes with the England national team at UEFA Euro, earning him the notorious nickname 'the king of no titles.'

Kane transferred to Bayern Munich craving a trophy, but ironically, the season he joined, Bayern had their worst season, failing to win any competition. During the 2023-2024 season, Bayern failed in both the league and the DFB-Pokal as well as the UEFA Champions League, ending up trophy-less, and Kane faced yet another disappointing season.

Personally, he recorded excellent performances, including receiving the European Golden Boot, but without team success, there was no genuine joy.

This season has also been filled with anxiety. They were eliminated early in the DFB-Pokal and reached only the quarterfinals of the Champions League, raising the possibility of another trophy-less season. Moreover, during the season, key players were sidelined by injuries, posing a crisis in their title quest.

Fortunately, in a recent match against Heidenheim, Kane led the team to a commanding victory (4-0) with multiple goals, completely changing the atmosphere. At the same time, Leverkusen's consecutive draws meant that Bayern found themselves on the brink of securing the title. Dier, who left Tottenham for Bayern in January 2024, also contributed to the team's title push by stepping up when his defensive presence was needed.

As a result, Kane and Dier are finally set to achieve a dream that eluded them at Tottenham. In particular, Kane is expected to follow in the footsteps of Kyle Walker, who, after leaving Tottenham, claimed 17 trophies, becoming a representative of the '脱 Tottenham' effect.

Meanwhile, Walker has won a total of 17 trophies, including the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League, after leaving Tottenham for Manchester City and becoming a key player under coach Pep Guardiola. Walker has signed a contract with AC Milan, including an option for a permanent transfer, embarking on a new challenge.

Now, the moment is approaching for Kane and Dier to become beneficiaries of the '脱 Tottenham' effect, just like Walker.

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