Harry Kane’s Brace Powers Bayern Munich into the Champions League Knockouts
In the dying moments of Wednesday’s match, Harry Kane emerged as the hero for Bayern Munich, scoring two crucial goals in the final ten minutes to secure a 2-1 victory over Galatasaray and ensure Bayern’s progression to the Champions League knockout stage.
Despite Bayern’s impressive record of winning their last 16 Champions League group stage matches, the score remained locked at 0-0 with only ten minutes remaining, casting doubt on their streak.
Harry Kane, however, had different plans. He opened the scoring by heading in a Joshua Kimmich free-kick, a goal that survived two offside checks. Kane wasn’t finished yet, adding another goal with just four minutes left on the clock. This remarkable feat brought his tally to an impressive 19 goals in 15 appearances in all competitions since his summer move from Tottenham.
In a last-ditch effort, Cedric Bakambu scored deep into injury time for Galatasaray, providing a glimmer of hope. However, Bayern managed to hold on for a narrow one-goal victory.
Although Galatasaray had shown resilience at home, Bayern’s 3-1 win was not as dominant as the scoreline suggested. Despite leaving empty-handed, Galatasaray still has a chance to qualify in the group with two games remaining.
The match took a turn for Bayern when Jamal Musiala was forced off late in the first half due to a hamstring injury. Galvanized by their passionate away supporters, Galatasaray’s strongest phase came early in the second half, with Alphonso Davies escaping a second yellow card for a foul on Lucas Torreira.
A disallowed goal for Torreira due to a narrow offside added to Galatasaray’s frustrations. As time dwindled, Kimmich delivered a decisive free-kick to Kane, who guided the ball in for the opening goal. Though Bayern’s celebrations were briefly halted by an offside signal, Kane’s goal was eventually allowed.
Kane secured his brace by tapping in a pass from Mathys Tel at close range, sealing Bayern’s 17th-straight victory and a coveted spot in the Champions League knockout stages.
Galatasaray salvaged some pride with Bakambu’s injury-time goal, but it was too late against the clinical Bayern side. With this win, six-time champions Bayern extended their unbeaten streak to 38 games in the group stages, adding another impressive record to their Champions League history.
