Kane delivers a double to take Bayern Munich past Frankfurt
Ahead of their Champions League semi-final tie with Real Madrid in midweek, all Bayern had left to play for in the league was tying up second place, and the home side got off to the perfect start.
Inside 10 minutes, Konrad Laimer won the ball on the halfway line, broke forward and found himself through on goal, but the Austrian unselfishly squared the ball for Kane to sweep home. With that strike, the England captain became the first-ever player to score or assist against every single Bundesliga side in a debut season.
Frankfurt, who came into the game with only their sixth place to fight for, showed they had no plans to lay down and let the hosts have everything their own way. Instead, the visitors equalised midway through the half thanks to a piece of brilliance from Hugo Ekitike.
The Frenchman picked the ball up outside the box and with his back to goal, but after showcasing some intricate footwork, he found the space to curl a pinpoint finish past Manuel Neuer.
Both sides had chances to net a second before the break but Neuer and his countryman Kevin Trapp did well to protect their respective goals.
Following the restart, Bayern were seemingly in control of proceedings, but their opponents continued to threaten on the counter. However, Thomas Tuchel’s men were presented with a golden opportunity to restore their lead on the hour-mark after a moment of madness from Frankfurt’s Robin Koch, as the defender seemingly elbowed Thomas Muller, resulting in a penalty being awarded to Bayern.
Kane made no mistake in burying the spot-kick for his 35th league goal, just six shy of Robert Lewandowski’s Bundesliga record of 41 goals.
With their lead restored, Bayern began to play with a much better flow and had a swagger about them, with the hosts almost adding a third minutes later, but Muller’s effort was blocked on the line.
Die Adler struggled after falling behind for the second time, as the home side strolled through the final half-hour, controlling possession and the tempo of the game.
The Bavarians coasted to victory ahead of their heavyweight clash against Real Madrid, as they cling on to their only chance of silverware this season - their last trophyless season came back in 2012.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
