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“I keep all the balls after hat-tricks. The lads might be sick of signing them, but keep them coming,” joked Harry Kane after netting four goals in Bayern Munich’s record-breaking 9-2 victory over Dinamo Zagreb. The England captain’s performance secured multiple records on a night where Bayern became the first team to score nine goals in a Champions League match.
Kane, 31, reached several milestones during the match:
- He became the top English scorer in Champions League history, with 33 goals in 45 games, surpassing Wayne Rooney’s previous record of 30.
- He became the first English player to score four goals in a Champions League game.
- Kane also became the first English player to score a hat-trick or more for a non-English team in the competition.
- He netted the first-ever hat-trick of penalties in a Champions League or European Cup match.
- Kane scored his 50th, 51st, 52nd, and 53rd Bayern goals, all in his 50th appearance for the club.
While Kane had an extraordinary night, his tally could have been even more impressive. Alongside his goals, he saw one disallowed and missed a chance to score five, which would have placed him in elite company with Lionel Messi, Luiz Adriano, and Erling Haaland, who have each scored five goals in a Champions League game.
Kane’s son, Louis, is a big football fan, and Kane humorously mentioned taking the match ball home: “I’ll take it [the match ball] home and put it next to his bed, and he’ll be happy when he wakes up in the morning.”
Former England defender Stephen Warnock, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, praised Kane’s intelligence on the field, saying, “One thing we know about Kane is he’s never had blistering pace. His game is thought in the mind… he is an intelligent footballer.”
Kane’s four-goal haul came at a time when some had questioned his place in the England squad. Warnock dismissed those doubts, asserting that Kane is still performing at a phenomenal level, despite a difficult Euro 2024 campaign.
For all his accomplishments, Kane has yet to win a major trophy. Bayern failed to secure the Bundesliga title last season, and Kane has been on the losing side in two European Championship finals and a Champions League final. Despite these setbacks, former Bayern and England midfielder Owen Hargreaves is confident Kane will soon add silverware to his impressive goal tally.
Bayern, now led by Vincent Kompany, have begun the season in scintillating form, scoring 20 goals in their first four matches under the Belgian. Kompany has ambitions for Bayern to reach the Champions League final, set to be held at their home ground, the Allianz Arena. However, Hargreaves cautioned that defensive issues, highlighted by conceding two goals to Dinamo Zagreb, may hinder Bayern’s chances of winning the prestigious trophy.
In contrast to Kane’s spotlight, fellow London-born player Michael Olise had a quieter debut for Bayern. The £50m summer signing from Crystal Palace scored twice but found his headlines overshadowed by Kane’s historic performance.
