England’s star striker Harry Kane expressed his joy after netting two goals for Bayern Munich on Saturday, marking his 500th career goal for both club and country.
Kane’s impressive performance, which included his 100th penalty, ensured Bayern maintained a six-point lead in the Bundesliga, as they secured a 3-0 victory against relegation-threatened Werder Bremen.
Following the match, Kane reflected on his milestone achievement, saying, “It was a proud moment to reach 500 goals. A lot of hard work and sacrifice went into achieving this, but it’s always about looking to the next one. The most important thing today was the win and the clean sheet.” He learned of his milestone only after the match concluded.
Kane’s first goal came as a teenager at Leyton Orient in January 2011 against Sheffield Wednesday in England’s third tier.
Both of Saturday’s goals were scored in the first half; the penalty was awarded in the 22nd minute after Lennart Karl was fouled, and his second came shortly thereafter, a precise shot hitting the post for his 26th league goal of the season.
The 32-year-old forward is enjoying a remarkable season, having scored 41 goals in 35 matches for Bayern across all competitions, making him the first player in Europe’s top five leagues to hit the 40-goal mark.
Since joining Bayern from Tottenham in 2023, where he became their all-time leading scorer with 280 goals, Kane has netted 126 times for his current club.
Additionally, he holds a record of 78 goals in 112 appearances for the England national team.
The team also saw Leon Goretzka score Bayern’s third goal in the 70th minute, marking a rare start for him in his final season with the club.
Bayern’s goalkeeper Manuel Neuer had to leave the match at halftime, likely as a precaution due to a minor calf issue, with Jonas Urbig stepping in for the second half.
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With this victory, Bayern Munich is firmly positioned to fend off challenges from Borussia Dortmund, especially ahead of their meeting in two weeks, given Bayern’s superior goal difference.
Dortmund, who recorded their sixth consecutive league win with a 4-0 triumph over Mainz on Friday, will next face RB Leipzig, while Bayern will host Eintracht Frankfurt a week before their heated clash known as “der Klassiker” in Dortmund.
Contributions to this report were made by the Associated Press and ESPN Research.