Harry Kane scored a hat-trick to cap off a memorable Bayern Munich thrashing of relegation-threatened Mainz on Saturday.
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Kane scored three in dominant 8-1 winMusiala, Muller, Gnabry, Goretzka also on scoresheetBayern pull within seven points of Bayer LeverkusenGettyTELL ME MORE
Kane gave the Bavarians the lead inside 15 minutes, ghosting into the box to meet Musiala's lay-off. Thomas Tuchel's side added a second through Leon Goretzka shortly after. Then, the floodgates opened. Bayern scored six more before full-time, Goretzka scoring again, before Thomas Muller, Jamal Musiala and Serge Gnabry also found the net. Their rout was only interrupted by a wonderful free-kick from Nadiem Amiri.
AdvertisementGettyTHE MVP
Who else but Kane? This may be a disapoointing season in Bavaria – Bayer Leverkusen are near-certain to win the Bundesliga at this point – but the England captain has proved that he can certainly do it in another league. This one was among his finest performances yet. He scored three, but had it not been for an occasional miscue and some fine goalkeeping work, he could have ended the afternoon with five. Lewandowski's record of 41 Bundesliga goals is now well within sight.
Getty ImagesTHE BIG LOSER
Xabi Alonso might start to worry. His Leverkusen side lacked bite midweek against Qarabag in the Europa League, and needed late heroics to snag a point on the road. Bayern, meanwhile, overturned a 1-0 deficit in the Champions League and battered Mainz here. The Bavarians are starting to hum, and if Alonso's men drop points, they might smell blood.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
The Bavarians might just feel they have a chance to make a run in the Bundesliga. They play Darmstadt next, before hosting Dortmund after the international break.