Harry Kane struck twice as Bayern Munich eased to a 3-0 home win over 10-man Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday (Mar 5), putting them on track for the Champions League quarter-finals.
Unable to beat Leverkusen in six attempts since Xabi Alonso took over in October 2022, Bayern were dominant from start to finish in the first leg of their last-16 tie against the German champions at the Allianz Arena.
Kane headed in a lovely Michael Olise cross after nine minutes. Jamal Musiala was in the perfect spot early in the second half to capitalise on a goalkeeping howler from Matej Kovar, the usual backup to Leverkusen captain Lukas Hradecky.
Kovar rose high but not high enough, allowing a tame Joshua Kimmich cross to slip through his fingers. The ball fell at the feet of a grateful Musiala, who tapped home.
Eight minutes later, centre-back Nordi Mukiele sunk his studs into the calf of Alphonso Davies, picking up a second yellow.
Mukiele's replacement Edmund Tapsoba bear-hugged Kane in the box. After the England captain fell to the turf, referee Michael Oliver consulted the VAR screen and pointed to the spot.
Kane converted his 30th consecutive penalty since his miss for England against France in the 2022 World Cup, putting Bayern on course for a victory in the tie and keeping the dream alive of appearing in this season's final in Munich.
Cameras showed Alonso, who spoke of the need for cool heads on the European stage before the match, with his head buried in his palms as Kane and Bayern celebrated by the corner flag.
Bayern, who were considered outsiders by an array of pundits before the match, roared back into form, sending a reminder of where the balance of power in German football lies.
