DORTMUND: Bundesliga top scorer Harry Kane scored twice in 16 minutes and Joshua Kimmich snatched an 87th-minute winner as visitors Bayern Munich battled from a goal down to beat title rivals Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in a pulsating Der Klassiker on Saturday.
The win, thanks to Kimmich’s stunning late volley, moved Bayern a big step toward retaining their crown. The Bavarians are 11 points clear of second-placed Dortmund with the Ruhr valley club’s title hopes all but ended with 10 games remaining.
England captain and man-of-the-match Kane, who equalled a league record with at least two goals in four consecutive matches, has now netted 30 times in 24 league games this season.
The 32-year-old is looking to break the all-time Bundesliga record of 41 goals held by Robert Lewandowski. He also matched a league record with his 10th converted penalty.
Kane’s scoring form has carried him to the brink of a second league title with Bayern while also helping them reach the German Cup semifinals and Champions League Round of 16, with the World Cup start just over three months away.
Dortmund, who were eliminated by Atalanta in the midweek Champions League playoffs, needed a win to have any realistic chance of staying in contention for the championship.
“It’s a huge win for us in this title race,” Kane said. “We managed to come back from behind, we played our game and knew they would be tired after playing midweek.
“We never gave up. It’s really special to come and win here. We can be proud of this win,” he said.
The visitors made a strong start with five efforts on goal before Dortmund scored against the run of play when Nico Schlotterbeck headed in Daniel Svensson’s corner after 26 minutes.
But Kane was left unmarked in the 54th to tap home from a Serge Gnabry header before converting a penalty after 70 minutes to put the visitors ahead.
Dortmund levelled through Svensson’s superb 83rd-minute volley in a rollercoaster finale but the visitors bounced back once more to snatch the three points when Kimmich blasted home a superb late volley of his own.
Kane double, Kimmich strike give leaders Bayern 3-2 comeback win at Dortmund
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Kane double, Kimmich strike give leaders Bayern 3-2 comeback win at Dortmund
- The win, thanks to Kimmich’s stunning late volley, moved Bayern a big step toward retaining their crown
- The Bavarians are 11 points clear of second-placed Dortmund
Inter continue Scudetto march after Champions League humbling
- Milan will be favorites to win at Cremonese in Sunday’s early fixture, with the local rivals set to face off next weekend in a match which will in all likelihood have little impact on the destination of the Scudetto
MILAN, Italy: Inter Milan bounced back from Champions League elimination with Saturday’s 2-0 win over Genoa which continued their march toward the Serie A title.
Federico Dimarco’s brilliant volley just after the half-hour mark and Hakan Calhanoglu’s second-half penalty were enough for Inter to extend their already huge lead over AC Milan at the top of the table to 13 points.
Milan will be favorites to win at Cremonese in Sunday’s early fixture, with the local rivals set to face off next weekend in a match which will in all likelihood have little impact on the destination of the Scudetto.
Inter, whose fans unloaded a collection of anti-Milan chants in anticipation of the derby, have dropped just two points in 15 league matches and have been a cut above the rest in Italy’s top flight this season.
Their domestic dominance comes in stark contrast to the humiliating manner in which they were dumped out of the Champions League by Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday night.
A 5-2 aggregate defeat to the Norwegian minnows cast doubts over not just the quality of Cristian Chivu’s team but of Italian football as a whole.
There was plenty of quality in Dimarco’s opener however, the Italy full-back beautifully placing a first-time finish from a tight angle after exchanging passes with Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Little else happened in a humdrum encounter until Alex Amorim handled a cross from Luis Henrique, whose shot had been tipped onto the post just moments before.
Calhanoglu calmly stroked home the spot-kick on his return to action following niggling muscle problems which have caused him issues since before Christmas, sealing the points for Inter.
Big Rom back
Romelu Lukaku kept Napoli on course for a Champions League spot with a last-gasp winner in the champions’ 2-1 victory over rock-bottom Verona, the Belgium forward’s first goal of the season.
Lukaku forced home Giovane’s cross to snatch the win for third-placed Napoli with the last kick of the game at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi.
Napoli had looked like dropping points in northern Italy when Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro levelled Rasmus Hojlund’s early opener in the 65th minute.
But Lukaku, who only played his first game of the season in late January, gave Napoli a huge win with both Como and Atalanta pushing for a top-four placing.
“I was a dead player before coming here,” said Lukaku to DAZN.
“This season has been difficult, but we’ve got to aim high.”
Napoli’s title defense is all but over as they trail Inter by 14 points after an injury-ravaged season.
Napoli were missing key midfielders Scott McTominay, Kevin De Bruyne and Andre-Frank Anguissa on Saturday, as well as captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo.
Verona, under interim coach Paolo Sammarco following the sacking of Paolo Zanetti earlier this month, are 10 points from safety after a 12th straight match without a win.
Como, who face Inter in the first leg of the Italian Cup semifinals on Tuesday, strolled to 3-1 victory over strugglers Lecce to continue their push for a first-ever qualification for European football.
Cesc Fabregas’s team are two points behind Roma, in fourth and Juventus’ opponents on Sunday, and five behind Napoli.
Como are also two points ahead of sixth-placed Juve who face Roma trying to stay in touch with the Champions League places after being eliminated from Europe’s elite club competition by Galatasaray on Wednesday.
