Kane nets late winner in front of Southgate to help Bayern beat Leipzig

Harry Kane scored twice in front of England boss Gareth Southgate as his stoppage-time winner gave Bayern Munich a 2-1 home win over RB Leipzig to go eight points behind Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

Kane’s 91st-minute goal ended Bayern’s three-game losing run to hand a much-needed victory for boss Thomas Tuchel after it was announced he will leave the club at the end of the season.

The England captain put Bayern ahead in the 56th minute with a cool finish which put a smile on the face of Southgate, who was in attendance at the Allianz Arena.

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England boss Gareth Southgate was all smiles as Harry Kane opened the scoring for Bayern Munich against RB Leipzig

But Benjamin Sesko’s deflected 70th-minute leveller threatened to see Bayern lose more ground in the Bundesliga title race after Leverkusen continued their unbeaten season on Friday with a home win over Mainz.

Kane, though, rescued the win with a fantastic volleyed finish for his 27th league goal of the season to ensure Tuchel’s side remain in touch with Leverkusen.

How Kane salvaged win

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It had to be him! Harry Kane nets the winner for Bayern Munich in the 91st minute.

It has been a turbulent week in Munich following the news of Tuchel’s exit with the club facing its first trophy-less season in 12 years.

The disruption was evident in a poor first-half display from the reigning champions as they laboured against Leipzig with Kane their only bright spark.

The 30-year-old saw a fifth-minute header saved onto the post and then he attempted a spectacular overhead kick before half-time as he had the only two shots on target of the first half.

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Kane goes close to giving Bayern the lead in the first half

Leipzig were more adventurous early in the second half as Manuel Neuer was forced into action but Kane put Bayern ahead with a clinical finish as he collected a Jamal Musiala pass before drilling one low into the bottom corner much to the delight of the on-watching Southgate.

Leipzig, battling for a top-four finish and a spot in next season’s Champions League, responded to Kane’s opener well with Neuer making a fantastic save to deny Sesko when he was through one-on-one.

But Sesko did find a way past the Bayern captain as his shot took a deflection to wrong-foot the goalkeeper and bring Leipzig level.

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Bayern Munich fans at the Allianz Arena were left stunned as RB Leipzig levelled through Sesko

With the game headed for a draw, Tuchel brought on Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and the substitute made a difference as he neatly set up Kane who produced a brilliant left-footed finish to give Bayern a dramatic late victory.

The winner moves the former Tottenham striker nine goals clear of Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy in the race for the Bundesliga Golden Boot.

Kane now needs 14 goals in 11 games to equal the Bundesliga season record – 41 goals by ex-Bayern forward Robert Lewandowski in 2020/21.

Kane: We had to show a reaction

Harry Kane celebrates with Jamal Musiala
Image:
Harry Kane celebrates with Jamal Musiala

Harry Kane speaking after the game:

“I thought it was a really good game from us. We were the team with the better chances in the game, particularly in the first half – we probably should have taken a couple there. But we were playing against a really good side. We had to show a reaction after the last week. It’s really nice to score a couple of goals and help the team get the win.

“I don’t think it was a relief. I back myself in any game to score. With the players that we have, we should get into more dangerous positions and I thought we did that today.

“The first goal was nice. Me and Jamal were working on that in training yesterday so it’s nice to see it come off. That’s what we need – more connections between each other.

“The club made a decision and as players we just have to show responsibility to the manager and the club. We know we haven’t been performing as well as we can but you can’t just sit there and sulk about it.”

What’s next for Bayern?

Bayern Munich’s next Bundesliga game sees them travel to Freiburg on Friday; kick-off 7.30pm, live on Sky Sports.

Bayern then face a crucial Champions League last-16 second leg against Lazio as they host Maurizio Sarri’s team on March 5, with the Serie A side holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg.

Papers: Tuchel open to Premier League return

The top stories and transfer rumours from Thursday’s newspapers…

DAILY MAIL

Thomas Tuchel is open to a Premier League return after Bayern Munich confirmed he will leave the club at the end of the season.

Manchester United fear Luke Shaw could miss the rest of the season after suffering a recurrence of a leg muscle injury in last weekend’s win at Luton.

Manchester City are close to tying down Oscar Bobb to a new long-term contract after breaking into Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad this season.

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The Football Show look at why Thomas Tuchel and Bayern Munich are parting ways and what went wrong during his time in charge

Harry Kane is reportedly at the centre of a dressing room chasm at Bayern Munich as Thomas Tuchel’s reign in Bavaria crumbles.

Chelsea have made another appointment to their backroom team by recruiting Jim Hicks from the PFA as the club’s head of coach development.

Jon Fearn is set to leave his role as head of medical at Nottingham Forest after less than seven months.

Luke Littler has signed a first professional contract at the age of 17 and launched his very own range of darts merchandise.

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Gerwyn Price and Luke Littler played out an enthralling encounter in their quarter-final match on Night 3 of the Premier League in Glasgow

Ollie Lawrence is set to reinforce England’s midfield for the Six Nations showdown with Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday – while Danny Care is also destined to be promoted to the starting XV.

Tiger Woods’ son Charlie could be heading to the PGA Tour a lot sooner than expected after he signed up for a pre-qualifier event.

Inter Miami boss Tata Martino hinted he would not be rotating his squad to rest Luis Suarez against LA Galaxy next week despite the veteran striker appearing to be limping as he was substituted late in their victorious season-opener.

DAILY EXPRESS

Thomas Tuchel has set his sights on becoming Manchester United’s next manager according to reports in Germany.

As well as coveting Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, Premier League leaders Liverpool are also reported to be interested in three of their key players – Piero Hincapie, Florian Wirtz and Edmund Tapsoba.

DAILY TELEGRAPH

Thomas Tuchel will put the country’s top clubs and potentially the Football Association on red alert by prioritising a move back to England when he leaves Bayern Munich at the end of the season.

West Ham United have put Dominic Solanke high on their list of summer targets to bolster their attack and boost their quota of homegrown players.

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Take a look at some of Dominic Solanke’s best goals for Bournemouth in the Premier League

Heung-Min Son held face-to-face talks in London with his South Korea team-mate after a row about ping-pong that resulted in the Tottenham Hotspur captain breaking a finger. The Tottenham captain has asked fans to forgive Kang-In Lee for the bust-up.

Women’s Super League matches could be played on Friday and Saturday evenings from next season once a new television rights deal is agreed.

England centre Henry Slade is poised to sign a new deal to stay at Exeter Chiefs despite the continuing uncertainty around the Rugby Football Union’s enhanced Elite Player Squad contracts.

THE TIMES

Gary Neville has been invited by Manchester United to join a special committee to oversee the regeneration of Old Trafford and the surrounding area.

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Gary Neville discusses how important it is for Manchester United to acquire a sporting director

Matthew Benham has appointed Rothschild to oversee the potential sale of Brentford in a deal that is expected to value the Premier League club at about £500m.

The historic white pavilion at Trent Bridge is set to receive a multimillion-pound upgrade intended to secure the Nottinghamshire ground’s future as a Test venue.

THE ATHLETIC

Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw is expected to be out for 12 weeks after picking up a muscle injury.

Chelsea and Arsenal are leading the race for Aberdeen youngster Lewis Carrol with both clubs interested in a summer transfer.

THE SUN

Thomas Tuchel has been tipped to take over at Manchester United by club legend Steve Bruce.

A secret £7,200 statue of Harry Kane has remained hidden for years, according to reports.

Francis Ngannou has so much “ungodly power” even his boxing coach fears for his opponents – in a brutal warning to Anthony Joshua.

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Relive the moment when Francis Ngannou shocked the boxing world when he knocked down Tyson Fury in 2023

Fiorentina winger Christian Kouame has been hospitalised after contracting malaria during his time with the victorious Ivory Coast squad at the Africa Cup of Nations.

DAILY MIRROR

Organisers of the recent Green Football Weekend have admitted their disappointment that the Premier League stopped clubs from wearing green armbands during matches, instead limiting it to just pre-match warm-ups.

Danny Murphy has warned Liverpool against appointing Thomas Tuchel as their replacement for Jurgen Klopp, claiming the former Chelsea boss would be “too divisive” for the club.

German media claims a huge rift in the Bayern Munich squad caused the departure of head coach Thomas Tuchel, with Harry Kane on the side of those wanting him to stay, while Thomas Muller and Joshua Kimmich led those wanting him replaced.

THE INDEPENDENT

UEFA and FIFA are in a stand-off over regulation on multi-club ownership, as the two biggest confederations struggle to find a solution for one of the biggest issues facing football today.

THE GUARDIAN

Wales will face South Africa, the world champions, at Twickenham in June as part of preparations for their tour to Australia. The Principality Stadium in Cardiff is unavailable with Taylor Swift performing there on June 18 and Foo Fighters appearing there the following week.

DAILY RECORD

Old Firm slayer Derek McInnes has revealed he wants to end a dream campaign at Kilmarnock with a place in this season’s Scottish Cup Final.

Nikola Katic has praised his former Rangers team-mate Connor Goldson for helping to mould him into the player he has become ahead of the defender’s 300th appearance for the club.

Celtic great Darius Dziekanowski hopes Maik Nawrocki can prove himself as a valuable member of Brendan Rodgers’ squad after a generally disappointing first season at the club ruined by a series of niggling injuries.

THE SCOTTISH SUN

A supercomputer is predicting that the Scottish Premiership title race will go right down to the wire.

The curse of Kane: Bad luck or part of Bayern’s problem?

“This club is defined by its winning mentality. It feels very good to be here.” Those were Harry Kane’s words upon his arrival. But Bayern Munich lost the Super Cup to Leipzig that evening and the £100m signing is now set to go without a trophy in his first season.

Beaten by third-tier opposition in the DFB-Pokal, eight points adrift of Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, perhaps their best remaining hope of silverware is in the Champions League – and they have lost the first leg of their last-16 tie against Lazio in that.

Thomas Tuchel has paid the price with his job.

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German football expert Kevin Hatchard says Bayern have stalled under Thomas Tuchel

Harry Kane’s trophy misses

2015 – League Cup runner-up with Tottenham

2017 – Premier League runner-up with Tottenham

2019 – Champions League runner-up with Tottenham

2021 – League Cup runner-up with Tottenham

2021 – European Championship runner-up with England

2023 – German Super Cup with Bayern Munich

For Kane, 30, he must now contemplate the unthinkable. Bayern were supposed to be a sure thing. But having already lost European finals with Tottenham and England as well as finishing runner-up in the Premier League, the striker’s wait to be a winner continues.

Where has it all gone wrong?

Kane was culpable against Bochum as Bayern plunged to a third defeat in a row for the first time in nine years. He squandered a glorious opportunity to double the lead in the first half and then failed to salvage a draw with a header in stoppage-time.

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Harry Kane missed two good chances as Bayern Munich lost to Bochum

But that was an outlier. He is a victim of Bayern’s fall not the cause. There were warning signs before he signed and before that defeat to Leipzig. Bayern have won 11 Bundesliga titles in a row but the sequence should have come to an end in May. Borussia Dortmund only had to win at home to Mainz on the final day. They blew it.

Dortmund did not seize their chance but Leverkusen might. Their spectacular season is a big factor in this. Going into the Bochum game, Bayern’s points-per-game total was actually higher than in the previous three seasons. Leverkusen have just been relentless.

Bayern are still the top scorers in the Bundesliga – and largely because of Kane. He has scored 25 goals in his 22 appearances and can hardly be accused of hogging the chances. With five assists, he has helped to bring the best out of team-mate Leroy Sane too.

Compare Kane’s overall contribution to that of Robert Lewandowski in his final season in Bavaria and the England captain could reasonably be regarded as an upgrade. He does not win as many balls in the air but on the ground he is a more creative presence.

The service to him has been the concern for Tuchel.

“He is not happy with the connection in games. Neither are we. I have rarely seen such a discrepancy between training and matches. In training, the way he puts his chances away – it is incredible. It is world class. But then we rarely find him in matches.”

When Kane is provided with service, Bochum misses aside, the goals tend to flow. His 25 goals have come from an expected-goals total of 19.8 – that is to say that he has scored five more goals than he should have scored based on the quality of the opportunities.

Harry Kane's goal map for Bayern Munich excluded one from his own half
Image:
Harry Kane’s goal map for Bayern Munich excludes one effort from his own half

This is nothing new with Kane. His 213 Premier League goals came from chances that would have been expected to yield 173 goals. His finishing ability reliably adds around 25 per cent more goals to his total. That is what Bayern paid for and he has delivered it.

The problems have been elsewhere.

In the dugout, Tuchel was found wanting in Leverkusen. His decision to switch to five at the back caused more problems for his own players than Xabi Alonso. Perhaps the fact that he felt compelled to attempt it was an indication of his lack of faith in his team.


Saturday 24th February 5:20pm


Kick off 5:30pm

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Sky Sports Football HD

The defence has looked vulnerable, particularly against the counter-attack. But many of the issues stem from the midfield – an area of concern from the outset for Tuchel. He was public about his desire for a holding midfielder in the summer but one did not arrive.

Some saw it as undermining Joshua Kimmich, although Matthijs de Ligt’s comments suggest that the coach was not alone in this thinking. “We do not have that now, that is the truth,” said De Ligt. “If you do not have one, you have to work with other types of players.”

Kimmich’s partnership with Leon Goretzka is long established but players change. At 29, the pair should be in their prime but appear to lack the instincts or the physical attributes to cover the spaces. Against Bochum, Kimmich was outmuscled for their first goal.

Would the signing of Joao Palhinha or Edson Alvarez, both mooted in the summer, have addressed this? Possibly. But neither came – in part because the focus was on finding and funding a new striker. Kane has done his job. But should the money have gone elsewhere?

That such questions feel legitimate is unfortunate. Kane’s performances throughout his career have deserved more. But the man who appears to have a winning mentality, who joined a team with that winning mentality, is still finding new ways not to win.

Kane’s wait goes on.