Kane nets two as Bayern dominates Bayer in heated last-16 showdown

Bayern Munich managed to secure a victory over Bayer Leverkusen for the first time since Xabi Alonso took the helm at Die Werkself, giving them a commanding 3-0 lead heading into the return leg of their all-German UEFA Champions League round of 16 encounter.

The context of this match was notably different from the uninspiring 0-0 draw the teams played just a fortnight ago, with an evident sense of urgency that saw Bayern take the lead inside the opening nine minutes.

Harry Kane was quick to react to a cross from the right by Michael Olise, outpacing Nordi Mukiele to score his first goal in five matches, thus ending his longest goal drought since joining Bayern.

However, a lackadaisical moment from Dayot Upamecano nearly cost Bayern dearly when he surrendered possession to Jeremie Frimpong, who, unfortunately for Leverkusen, squandered the opportunity to score in a one-on-one with Manuel Neuer.

This chance soon proved to be a brief glimmer of hope for Leverkusen, as Bayern launched a relentless assault thereafter. Jamal Musiala somehow managed to head the ball onto the crossbar from close range during a corner, while long-range attempts from Kingsley Coman and Joshua Kimmich had Matej Kovar scrambling, even though they ultimately missed the target.

Alonso would have felt somewhat fortunate to see his team head into the half-time break without further damage, particularly as tensions flared just before the interval.

However, less than ten minutes into the second half, the visitors’ luck ran out. Kimmich’s ball appeared destined for Kovar’s grasp, but the Leverkusen keeper misjudged it entirely, allowing Musiala to pounce on the mistake for an easy tap-in.

Mukiele’s night worsened as he collected a second yellow card for a foul on Coman, and things went from bad to worse when Edmond Tapsoba conceded a penalty after bringing Kane down.

The England captain converted the penalty into the top right corner, marking his 17th Champions League goal since moving to Bavaria, the highest tally of any player during that timeframe.

In the final minutes, Leverkusen could do little more than try to limit the damage, leaving them with an uphill battle heading into next week’s second leg.

While the return match could tell a different story, Bayern’s solid aggregate lead and their ten-match unbeaten run will surely bolster their confidence.

It was evident that many of Leverkusen’s issues tonight stemmed from questionable personnel choices, something they will need to address ahead of the second leg, where they must aim to replicate their 3-0 victory at the BayArena from last year.

Click here to see all the stats of the match.