MUNICH: Harry Kane scored a hat-trick as Bayern Munich thumped Mainz 8-1 on Saturday, equalling a 60-year-old record and keeping alive his team’s hopes of catching leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
Kane, who also laid on two assists, now has 30 goals in his first season in Munich colors, matched the record for a maiden campaign set by German legend Uwe Seeler for Hamburg in 1963-64.
With nine games remaining, the England captain has also drawn nearer to the season record of 41 goals set by Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski in 2020-21.
The win was Bayern’s second biggest this season, just behind their 8-0 demolition of Darmstadt in October.
Midfielder Leon Goretzka, who scored a double, said: “It was a convincing win — the kind we’ve missed this season.”
Bayern are now seven points behind Xabi Alonso’s unbeaten Leverkusen, who host lowly Wolfsburg on Sunday.
“It’s our duty to keep giving it everything we’ve got,” Goretzka said. “If Leverkusen get shaky, we’ve got to be there.”
Having sealed their progression to the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday with a 3-0 home win over Lazio, Bayern were direct and decisive against Mainz.
Outgoing manager Thomas Tuchel said midweek Bayern needed to “win, win, win” to have any chance of catching Alonso’s side and Kane obliged early, tapping in a Jamal Musiala pass after 13 minutes.
Kane had a header saved seven minutes later, but Leon Goretzka was on hand to knock in the rebound.
Nadiem Amiri wove an incredible free kick through Bayern’s defense shortly after, but England striker Kane restored Bayern’s two-goal lead in first-half stoppage time, collecting a lofted Goretzka pass on the turn and blasting home.
Thomas Mueller added a fourth early in the second-half to break Mainz’s resistance, allowing Bayern to run riot, with further goals to Musiala, Serge Gnabry, Kane and Goretzka to bring the tally to eight.
The loss leaves Mainz in second last, nine points from safety.
Sporting director Martin Schmidt lamented his side’s openness, saying “we wanted to be courageous, but we were too courageous.”
Ten-man Borussia Dortmund regained fourth spot with a 2-1 win at Werder Bremen, headlined by Jadon Sancho’s first goal since returning to Germany, with his side having fallen to fifth earlier in the day when RB Leipzig beat Darmstadt 2-0 at home.
An acrobatic strike from Donyell Malen and a trademark solo effort from Sancho, the Manchester United loanee’s first in Dortmund colors since May 2021, had the visitors cruising.
Dortmund were however reduced to 10 men just before half-time when Marcel Sabitzer saw red for sinking his studs into Mitchell Weiser’s calf.
Dortmund manager Edin Terzic pulled Malen, who has five goals in his past four games, in favor of Mats Hummels at the break, but the veteran defender was at fault when Bremen’s Justin Njinmah scored with 20 minutes remaining.
Despite some nervy final moments, Dortmund held on to stay one point clear of Leipzig in fourth, the final guaranteed Champions League spot for next season.
Earlier on Saturday, Leipzig beat Darmstadt to rebound from a frustrating Champions League last 16 exit to Real Madrid on Wednesday.
Leipzig forced struggling Darmstadt into an own goal from Thomas Isherwood after three minutes.
Marco Rose’s men added another through Christoph Baumgartner early in the second-half to seal the win as they continue their push for a top-four spot.
“We’re looking only at ourselves,” said sporting director Rouven Schroeder of their top-four bid. “When we win our games, we’ll qualify for the Champions League.”
Third-last Cologne drew 3-3 at derby rivals Borussia Moenchengladbach, having led twice in a feisty encounter.
Cologne led for over an hour but were forced to come from behind late in the game when Robin Hack scored two goals in three minutes to give the home side the lead.
Damion Downs levelled the scores with 11 minutes remaining but Cologne will finish the round in 16th, the relegation play-off spot, seven points from safety.
Jeffrey Gouweleeuw scored the only goal as Augsburg beat Heidenheim at home to climb out of a crowded mid-table to eighth place, within touching distance of the European spots.
Kane equals 60-year-old record as eight-goal Bayern keep hopes alive
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Kane equals 60-year-old record as eight-goal Bayern keep hopes alive
- Kane, who also laid on two assists, now has 30 goals in his first season in Munich colors
- With nine games remaining, the England captain has also drawn nearer to the season record of 41 goals set by Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski in 2020-21
Jeers as Real Madrid loses 2-1 to Man City and pressure grows on Alonso. Arsenal wins, PSG draws
- Record 15-time European champions Madrid are seventh in the standings, with only the top eight teams automatically advancing to the round of 16
- Italian champions Napoli lost 2-0 at Benfica, while Weston McKennie was on target for Juventus in a 2-0 win at Pafos
MANCHESTER, England: The pressure was already on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso and a 2-1 defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday raised further questions about his future.
Arsenal remains perfect in this season’s competition and three points clear at the top of the standings after a 3-0 win against Club Brugge, while defending champion Paris Saint-Germain was held 0-0 at Athletic Bilbao.
The clash between Madrid and City was the standout game of the round and Alonso had faced reports this week that he had lost control of the locker room. Speculation over his position is likely to intensify after a latest defeat. It’s now just two wins in eight games for Madrid and back-to-back home losses.
There were jeers inside the Bernabeu at the final whistle.
“We know it’s a tough moment for us and for the coach,” Madrid winger Rodrygo said. “Things are not going our way and I wanted to show that we are behind our the coach. He has been trying. I wanted to show that we are together and we need to be united to keep moving forward and achieve our goals.”
Rodrygo had put Madrid in front in the 28th minute, but goals from Nico O’Reilly and Erling Haaland before halftime sealed victory for City.
Alonso looked frustrated on the sidelines as he watched his blunt attack waste chances to salvage something in the absence of the injured Kylian Mbappé, who was an unused substitute.
Vinicius Junior failed to hit the target with two chances from close range and Jude Bellingham lifted another effort over the bar with only the goalkeeper to beat.
Asked if he was worried about his future, Alonso said: “I’m worried about our next match. The important thing here is Real Madrid. It’s about the team, the players, and how I can help them. This isn’t about me.”
Bellingham said the squad was “100 percent” behind Alonso.
“The noise will not be helpful. So it’s about us trying to figure it out inside the dressing room,” Bellingham told TNT Sports.
Record 15-time European champion Madrid is seventh in the standings, with only the top eight teams automatically advancing to the round of 16.
“As a player inside the changing room, seeing what we’ve got in there, working with the coach every day, I think we have everything we need to turn it around,” Bellingham said.
Arsenal stays perfect
Top of the Premier League and top of the Champions League, too, Arsenal swept aside Club Brugge to maintain its 100 percent record in Europe.
Noni Madueke scored twice and Gabriel Martinelli got the other for Mikel Arteta’s team, which has seen its lead in England’s top flight cut from six points to two in recent weeks.
There are no such concerns in Europe.
“Our mentality is our strength,” Arteta said.
PSG couldn’t find a winner in Bilbao, but with 13 points after six games, the French giant has already equaled the total amount it picked up in the league phase last season before going on to win the trophy.
Italian champion Napoli lost 2-0 at Benfica, while Weston McKennie was on target for Juventus in a 2-0 win at Pafos.
Both Napoli and Juventus have only won two of their six games in the league phase.
Newcastle denied late
Alejandro Grimaldo made the difference again for Bayer Leverkusen, scoring in the 88th to rescue a 2-2 draw against Newcastle.
Leverkusen coach Kasper Hjulmand missed the game for personal reasons, the club said an hour before kickoff.
Jeers rang out at full time at Borussia Dortmund after Norway’s Bodo/Glimt sealed a 2-2 draw, equalizing twice after Julian Brandt goals for Dortmund.
The result helps neither team, with Dortmund’s chances of direct qualification for the round of 16 taking a dent. Bodo/Glimt has three draws but no wins in its debut Champions League season.
Ajax rallies to beat Qarabag
Ajax scored three goals late in the game to deny Qarabag a surprise win in one of the early kickoffs.
Four-time European champion Ajax twice trailed against its Azerbaijani opponent, but fought back to win 4-2 in Baku.
Qarabag has been one of the surprise packages in this season’s competition and led after 10 minutes through Camilo Duran. Matheus Silva scored two minutes into the second half to make it 2-1 after Kasper Dolberg had leveled for Ajax.
But Ajax powered back with three goals in 11 minutes. Oscar Gloukh scored in the 79th and 90th, with Anton Gaaei getting the other in the 82nd.
Copenhagen also scored late to win 3-2 at Villarreal.
Substitute Andreas Cornelius struck in the 90th to seal victory in a game where Copenhagen had twice been pegged back after taking the lead.
