Football

Late Kane double sends Bayern 2-1 past Galatasaray and into last 16

November 9, 2023 9:01 am

[Source: Reuters]

Bayern Munich top scorer Harry Kane struck twice in seven minutes late in the game to guide his team to a 2-1 victory over Galatasaray and secure a spot in the Champions League knockout stage as group winners with two games to spare.

The England captain, who had scored a hat-trick against Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on Saturday, headed in a Joshua Kimmich free kick in the 80th minute and then tapped in his second six minutes later to make sure of a top two finish.

Man-of-the-match Kane, the Bundesliga’s record signing when he joined this season for 100 million euros ($107.06 million), has now scored four times in his first four Champions League games for Bayern to match a club record, on top of his 15 goals in his first 10 league games.

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He is also only the third English player to reach 25 goals in the competition.

“It was a tough game. The away leg was very similar,” Kane said. “I thought we controlled the game better this time. We knew in the second half we just had keep that momentum.”

As for his performance he said he had settled in well in Munich.

“There’s always a lot that goes into the transfer, on and off the field. So of course there’s always a bit more pressure and expectation, but I’ve been delighted with the start obviously,” Kane said.

The visitors cut the deficit in second half stoppage time with Cedric Bakambu.

The Bavarians, who also hit the post with Kane early in the second half, stretched their unbeaten run in Champions League group matches to 38, having won the last 17 in a row, both competition records.