Harry Kane made an impactful return from injury for Bayern Munich, scoring one goal and assisting another during his team’s 2-1 victory against Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday.
Kylian Mbappé netted the goal for Madrid after the visitors took a two-goal lead at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
Bayern took the lead just before halftime when Luis Díaz scored in the 41st minute.
After being marked as a game-time decision due to an ankle injury that kept him out of the previous Bundesliga match, Kane struck just 20 seconds into the second half, marking his 49th goal of the season.
This result gives Bayern a crucial advantage ahead of the return leg in Germany as they aim to reach the Champions League semifinals for the first time since the 2023-24 season, when they were eliminated by the eventual champions, Madrid.
Historically, Bayern has advanced in 12 of the 13 Champions League ties where they won the first leg away from home.
Moreover, Tuesday’s result ended Bayern’s nine-match winless streak against Madrid in the Champions League, which had been their longest such run against any opponent in the competition’s history.
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Kane contributed to Bayern’s first goal, exchanging passes with Serge Gnabry, who provided the assist for Díaz’s shot inside the area. The Colombian forward sent a low shot past Real Madrid’s goalkeeper, Andriy Lunin.
Kane doubled the lead with a one-time shot from the edge of the area in the 46th minute, hitting the corner of the net with a precise strike. This marked his 11th goal in the Champions League, matching his best scoring season in the tournament.
The English forward has netted 22 Champions League goals since the start of the 2024-25 season, the highest in the competition.
Mbappé reached his 20th Champions League goal of the season in the 74th minute, scoring from close range after a pinpoint cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Mbappé is leading the scoring race this season with 14 goals, which is double his total from last season and just three goals shy of Cristiano Ronaldo’s single-season record of 17 goals achieved with Madrid in 2013-14.
One of Madrid’s best opportunities came when Vinícius Júnior faced Manuel Neuer in a one-on-one situation in the 61st minute, but the Brazilian forward’s effort went wide. Neuer, who recorded nine saves overall, later made a crucial stop against Mbappé. He had already denied several attempts from both Mbappé and Vinícius in the first half.
In the first half, Madrid defender Álvaro Carreras cleared a shot from Dayot Upamecano off the goal line.
Both teams were eliminated at the quarterfinal stage last year, with Bayern falling to Inter Milan and the record 15-time European champions Madrid being knocked out by Arsenal.
The German champions Bayern are currently unbeaten in their last 14 matches across all competitions, with 12 wins. Meanwhile, Madrid came into this match after a 2-1 defeat to Mallorca, which dampened their LaLiga title aspirations.
Contributions from The Associated Press and ESPN Research were included in this report.