Harry Kane was at his very best as the Bayern Munich star scored a brace in a 5-0 rout of Hamburg with Luis Diaz also hitting the net.
AFPBayern record a big win
It took Bayern Munich just three minutes to show their strength against Hamburg on Saturday, as Serge Gnabry humiliated his marker with a nutmeg before blasting a rocket past a helpless Daniel Heuer Fernandes. The Hamburg keeper could only watch as the ball tore into the net, the opening salvo in what quickly turned into a nightmare half for the visitors. Bayern smelled blood and wasted no time turning domination into goals with Aleksandar Pavlovic making it 2–0 after Kane set him up.
Manager, Merlin Polzin, got the early warnings and switched to a back five to reduce the embarrassment, but that hardly bothered a Bayern side who were simply in rampage mode. Gnabry was once again in the thick of things as he forced a handball from Aboubaka Soumahoro in the area. Kane stepped up and buried the resulting penalty into the bottom corner with trademark precision. Three goals inside 25 minutes, and Hamburg’s shoulders slumped as Bayern kept marching forward.
Just when Hamburg thought they might cling on until half-time, Joshua Kimmich struck with a flash of ingenuity. A cheeky quick free-kick split the visitors’ defence and sent Luis Diaz racing through the middle. The Colombian let fly from distance and, with the aid of a huge deflection from Luka Vuskovic, Fernandes was left stranded once again. Bayern were four up before the half-hour mark.
After drawing a blank against Augsburg before the international break, Kane was ready to make amends. After converting from the spot in the first half, the England captain struck again after the hour. His first touch bought him space, and with a sniper’s accuracy, he buried his effort beyond Fernandes. That goal made it five for Bayern and eight in just five matches this season for Kane.
With the points wrapped up long before full-time, Kompany used the final stages to rotate. Nicolas Jackson, a summer recruit from Chelsea, made his Bayern debut and worked tirelessly to catch the eye. Youngsters Tom Bischof and Lennart Karl were also thrown into the mix, along with Sacha Boey, as the manager looked to spread minutes across the squad while sparing his stars.
AdvertisementAFPMVP: Kane at his very best
Kane walked away with Man of the Match after two goals and an assist, underlining yet again why he is the deadliest striker in Germany. His brace also meant he has now scored against every Bundesliga side he has faced – 67 goals in 66 league appearances, a simply staggering strike rate.
The Big Loser: Hamburg's defensive struggles
If Hamburg’s backline were jittery, Soumahoro was the very picture of panic. First booked inside the opening minute for a rash foul, his horror evening only worsened when he handled in the box under Gnabry’s pressure. He was hauled off at the interval to spare further embarrassment. By then, though, the damage was done as Bayern had turned the first half into a demolition job.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
After crushing Hamburg with ease, Bayern now turn their focus to a heavyweight clash in Europe. Chelsea come to the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night in the Champions League, and with Kane in this kind of form, few would bet against him adding to his ever-growing tally.