Harry Kane netted twice as Bayern Munich cruised to a 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
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Harry Kane opened the scoring for Bayern Munich in the ninth minute with a powerful header from Michael Olise’s cross. Just six minutes later, Bayer Leverkusen had a huge opportunity to equalize when Jeremie Frimpong intercepted a weak back pass from Dayot Upamecano and found himself one-on-one with Manuel Neuer. However, Neuer quickly closed down the shot and made a crucial block.
Bayern could have extended their lead in the 22nd minute, but Jamal Musiala’s header from a Joshua Kimmich delivery hit the woodwork, keeping the score at 1-0.
In the 55th minute, Musiala made amends for his earlier miss, scoring after Leverkusen goalkeeper Matej Kovar made a mistake, allowing Kimmich’s cross to slip through his hands. Things went from bad to worse for Xabi Alonso’s side when Nordi Mukiele picked up a second yellow card for a reckless challenge on Kingsley Coman, leaving Leverkusen with 10 men.
Kane sealed Bayern’s dominant performance and gave them a commanding 3-0 lead by converting a penalty. Edmond Tapsoba fouled Kane inside the box, and the English striker calmly finished from the spot. This victory marked the first time since 2022 that Bayern Munich triumphed over their Bundesliga rivals in this competition.
The MVP
Harry Kane ended his brief four-game goal drought in spectacular fashion, scoring a brace in Bayern Munich’s commanding 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. He opened the scoring with a powerful header in the ninth minute and then netted a decisive penalty in the 75th minute, putting Bayern in a strong position to advance to the next round. The England captain now boasts an impressive 31 goals across all competitions in the 2024-25 season.
The Big Loser
Matej Kovar had a night to forget as his costly error handed Bayern Munich a second goal early in the second half. The Leverkusen goalkeeper mishandled a seemingly routine collection of a long ball from Joshua Kimmich, allowing Jamal Musiala to capitalize on the mistake and calmly slot the ball into an empty net, doubling Bayern’s lead.