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Harry Kane hits hat trick as Bayern Munich make ‘statement’ in Bundesliga opener

Harry Kane hit a hat-trick, Michael Olise a double, and newcomer Luis Diaz also scored as Bayern Munich made a “statement” against RB Leipzig 6-0 at home in the Bundesliga season opener on Friday.

Bayern’s big-money arrivals, all brought in from the Premier League across the past three seasons, were dominant as the Bavarians began their title defence in style.

Olise scored twice in the first half, either side of a Diaz strike. Not to be outdone, Kane scored three goals in the second half, with two assists coming from Diaz, to bring Bayern’s total to 6-0.

Kane told the Bundesliga website, “After we went into half-time 3-0 up, I said to myself ‘I have to get on that scoresheet’.”

The 32-year-old England captain now has eight Bundesliga hat-tricks since joining Bayern from Spurs in the summer of 2023.

Harry Kane was subbed off to rapturous applause with four minutes remaining as the defending German champions, winners of 12 of the past 13 Bundesliga titles, sounded a warning on the opening day of the competition.

Lauding his team’s “great start to the season,” Kane told Sky Germany: “We wanted to open the season with a statement and that’s exactly what we’ve done,” adding “we were on top in all areas and were clinical when we needed to be, so we can enjoy this.”

Bayern Munich captain Joshua Kimmich agreed with Kane’s assessment, saying “a 6-0 at home against Leipzig is clearly a statement, but what’s hard in football is to back it up in three days.”

Kimmich praised Kane as an “absolute team player,” telling Sky Germany the England captain “he loves to score but he sets goals up and gets back and helps in defence, that’s something special.

“He doesn’t just define himself with goals, and that helps us extremely.”

The defeat showed Leipzig have a long way to go to challenge for the top spots after their first summer transfer window under Jurgen Klopp, who took over as Red Bull global head of football in January.

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Leipzig captain David Raum called the match “a catastrophe”, saying his side lacked “mentality and willpower” in one-on-one situations.

Bayern were under pressure before the season opener after losing several forward players in the summer transfer window.

Pre-season, talisman Harry Kane told reporters it was “probably one of the smallest squads I’ve ever played in,” after losing forwards Kingsley Coman, Leroy Sane, Thomas Mueller, and Mathys Tel.

Diaz became the third player in as many seasons to join on big money from England after Kane and Olise, leaving Liverpool for Bavaria.

Olise continued his stunning start to life in Germany from last season, smashing in the opener after 27 minutes.

Diaz then arrived at the party, scoring Bayern’s second five minutes later, hammering the ball in off the crossbar from a Serge Gnabry assist.

With Leipzig reeling, Olise added a second three minutes before halftime, collecting a delicate pass from Gnabry before coolly wrong-footing the goalkeeper.

Sniffing blood, Kane scored Bayern’s fourth with 64 minutes played, turning in a Diaz assist.

After a Leipzig strike by Antonio Nusa was ruled out, VAR showed visiting centre-back Castello Lukeba had taken a free kick at the other end of the pitch with the ball still rolling.

Kane added two more as he scored in the 74th and 78th minutes.

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Bayern Munich agree deal to sign Liverpool winger Luis Diaz: reports

German champions Bayern Munich have agreed to sign Liverpool winger Luis Diaz in a £65.5 million ($88 million) deal, according to multiple reports on Sunday.

Bayern had an initial offer of £59 million rejected by the Premier League champions last week, but their improved bid looks set to bring the Colombia international to the Allianz Arena.

Diaz has reportedly been given permission to leave Liverpool’s pre-season tour of Asia in order to complete a medical with Bayern.

He joined Liverpool from Porto in January 2022 and won the Premier League, FA Cup, and League Cup during his time at Anfield.

The 28-year-old made 50 appearances and scored 17 goals in all competitions last season as Arne Slot’s team clinched the English title for the first time in five years.

Luis Diaz was left out of Liverpool’s 4-2 friendly defeat against AC Milan in Hong Kong on Saturday as speculation mounted over his future.

“In Lucho’s (Diaz’s) situation, there’s a lot of rumours around him lately, and I cannot go into that,” Slot said after the Milan match.

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“He’s training really well with us, but we have decided for now not to play him yet.

“I’m used to talking to most of my players on a regular basis. I cannot comment much more about that.”

The decision to sign Luis Diaz gives Bayern Munich a quality replacement for Germany forward Jamal Musiala, who has been ruled out for a “long period” after he suffered a broken leg and dislocated ankle at the Club World Cup this month.

Liverpool have been busy in the transfer window, bolstering their attacking options with expensive swoops for Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Florian Wirtz and Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike.

Defenders Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez arrived from Leverkusen and Bournemouth, respectively, while goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili joined from Valencia.

The Reds are also believed to be interested in making a bid for Newcastle’s £150 million-rated striker Alexander Isak.

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Bayern Munich overcome battling Boca Juniors to reach Club World Cup last 16

Bayern Munich booked their place in the knockout stages of the Club World Cup with Harry Kane and Michael Olise on target in a hard-fought 2-1 win over Argentina’s Boca Juniors on Friday.

Kane’s strike gave the German champions the lead, only for Miguel Merentiel to equalise, but Olise popped up with a late winner.

After defeats for Paris Saint-Germain against Botofogo and Chelsea against Flamengo, Bayern bucked the trend of European teams falling to South American opponents with an accomplished victory in the Group C encounter.

Hard Rock Stadium was packed to the rafters with Boca fans who once again brought incredible passion and noise to the NFL stadium, home to the Miami Dolphins.

But Bayern set about quieting the 63,587 crowd with Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka taking charge of midfield, and the movement of Bayern’s frontline stretching the Boca defence.

The German side thought they had the lead in the eighth minute when a corner from Olise passed untouched through a crowded six-yard box and into the net.

But the referee was called to the monitor for a VAR review, where he was able to clearly see that Serge Gnabry had blocked and tangled with Boca goalkeeper Agustin Marchesin, and the effort was ruled out.

Ten minutes later, however, Bayern had the breakthrough when Boca were unable to fully clear a ball into the box and Kane pounced with a clinical left-foot shot into the bottom corner.

Bayern smelled blood and pushed for a second — Olise found Gnabry on the right, and his low ball across goal was just inches away from the sliding Kingsley Coman.

Boca desperately needed to find a foothold in the game, and they came close when a thundering free-kick from Kevin Zenon was punched out by Manuel Neuer.

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Moments later, Zenon tested the Bayern keeper again with another fierce strike, which Neuer punched away.

But for all the signs of life from Boca, Bayern looked in control of the game, and Kane was close to making it 2-0 with a dangerous free-kick which dipped just too late and flashed over the bar.

Bayern Munich continued to look for a second after the interval, and the busy Olise should have done better from close range but couldn’t connect properly with an off-balance shot.

Boca never gave up harrying and grafting, though, and their reward came in the 66th minute.

On a turnover in midfield, Alan Velasco found Miguel Merentiel down the right, and he powered goalwards, skipping around Josip Stanisic before producing a brilliant, confident finish past the helpless Neuer.

It looked like South American clubs’ unbeaten record in the tournament was going to hold, but with six minutes remaining, Olise provided the decisive blow.

After a scramble on the edge of the box, Kane found the France international with a delicate lay-off, and Olise provided precision control with a superb side-foot finish into the corner.

Konrad Laimer thought he had wrapped up the win with a third moments later, but he was ruled offside.

It was the first loss for a South American side in the competition, and it leaves Boca with just one point before their final group game.

Bayern Munich have the maximum six points after crushing Auckland City 10-0 in their opening game, with Portugal’s Benfica in second place on four points.

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Bayern Munich beat amateurs Auckland City 10-0 at Club World Cup

Jamal Musiala came off the bench to score a hat-trick as Bayern Munich mauled amateurs Auckland City of New Zealand 10-0 in their opening game at the Club World Cup on Sunday.

Kingsley Coman, Michael Olise and Thomas Mueller all netted twice, while Sacha Boey was on target too for the German champions in the game in Group C, which also features Boca Juniors and Benfica.

Harry Kane started but didn’t get on the scoresheet before being replaced just after the hour mark by Musiala, who netted his three goals in the space of 18 minutes towards the end.

It was a stroll in the park in the midday sun in Cincinnati for Bayern Munich, with France winger Coman scoring twice in the opening 21 minutes on either side of goals by compatriots Boey and Olise.

Coman’s sixth-minute breakthrough goal was the first of the tournament following the 0-0 draw between Inter Miami and Al Ahly in Saturday’s opening game.

Mueller got the fifth, and Olise’s second of the afternoon made it 6-0 in first-half stoppage time for the Bundesliga heavyweights.

Olise’s strike for the sixth was the pick of the day’s goals, as he came in from the right before curling a shot on his left foot into the far corner.

Auckland City managed to stem the tide for much of the second half before Musiala came on and took centre stage, his three goals including one from the penalty spot after he had been fouled.

Mueller, who will leave Bayern after the tournament, made it 10-0 in the 89th minute with his 250th goal for the club.

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The result confirmed the enormous gulf between one of Europe’s giants and an Auckland side who have won the Oceania Champions League 13 times but whose amateur players had to take unpaid leave to travel to the United States for the tournament.

“This is the reality of football against one of the world’s top teams,” admitted City’s interim coach, Ivan Vicelich.

“It is a dream for players coming from an amateur level to play in this environment.

“We knew it was going to be a very difficult game, playing against one of the top teams in the world, potentially one of the favourites for the Club World Cup, so we are just really proud of the players’ efforts.”

However, the result made it an ideal start for Bayern Munich, who won the Club World Cup twice in its former seven-team guise, in 2013 and 2020.

They have recorded bigger victories in the past in the German Cup, but the 10-goal winning margin equals their best ever in the Bundesliga, when they beat Borussia Dortmund 11-1 in 1971.

Bayern, who gave new signing Jonathan Tah a debut in central defence following his recent arrival from Bayer Leverkusen, play Boca in their next match in Miami on Friday.

Auckland City take on Benfica earlier the same day in Orlando.

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England defender Eric Dier to leave Bayern Munich at end of season

England centre-back Eric Dier is set to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season, when his contract is up, the club’s sporting director said on Friday.

“We’ve had talks with Eric about a potential contract extension,” said Christoph Freund. “He told us that he won’t extend his time with Bayern and that he’ll leave the club at the end of the season.”

Dier’s contract expires on June 30, but Bayern Munich are still in talks in a bid to extend that temporarily to cover the Club World Cup, which runs from June 14 to July 13 in the United States.

Eric Dier touched down in Munich on loan in January 2024, establishing himself as a starter in defence alongside Matthijs de Ligt under then-coach Thomas Tuchel.

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The 31-year-old sealed a full transfer in the summer of 2024 on a one-year deal.

Although less used by current coach Vincent Kompany, Dier has been a key player in stepping in to cover injuries to central defenders Kim Min-jae and Dayot Upamecano.

“We’ve had a great time with Eric, and I hope he’ll crown his time with Bayern with a title,” Freund said of the 49-time capped England player.

According to press reports in France and Germany, Dier is set to join Monaco on a deal that will run through to the summer of 2027.

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Thomas Mueller eyes one final title as Bayern Munich exit draws near

Bayern Munich veteran Thomas Mueller can win his 13th league title with a victory at RB Leipzig on Saturday, as his summer departure after 25 seasons at the club draws near.

Eight points clear of defending champions Bayer Leverkusen with three games remaining, Bayern will clinch the title if they beat Leipzig this weekend.

Bayern’s last league win at Leipzig came in 2021. If the Bavarians falter, they will still wrap up the Bundesliga crown if Leverkusen fail to beat Freiburg on Sunday.

Another league title would be a fitting farewell for Mueller, who joined Bayern at the age of 10 and played his 500th Bundesliga game last week.

A one-club player, Thomas Mueller has amassed a remarkable 32 trophies with Bayern, including two Champions Leagues, but will leave at the end of the season after he was not offered a contract extension.

No player has ever won 13 Bundesliga titles and only Manchester United’s Ryan Giggs has hit that mark in any of Europe’s top five leagues.

“It sounds good, doesn’t it?” Mueller said of the record in an interview with the Bundesliga website on Wednesday.

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“I won my first title in 2010. You’re holding something heavy in your hands, and it gives you the feeling that it’s not really easy to win the thing.

“There’s always a lot of work, and you have to perform over a long period. That’s why the satisfaction when you win the league trophy is greater than the Champions League or the German Cup.”

With his departure edging closer, Thomas Mueller has been celebrated by fans at home and away, but has been quick to remind everyone he is not on a farewell tour — and that there is a title at stake.

“On the topic of pride, I’m someone who lives life looking forward rather than looking back too much,” said Mueller. “Looking back is nice, and then you can toast to it and ask: ‘What are you doing tomorrow?'”

At the other end of the table, Bochum will be the first side relegated if they lose at Heidenheim on Friday.

Bochum’s struggles this season have come not against the top teams, but against mid-table sides and fellow relegation battlers.

Bochum have only won two of their past 14 games, but those wins came against Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

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Harry Kane hopes to ‘silence’ the doubters as Bayern Munich title looms

After a career marked by a multitude of personal accolades but devoid of any team triumphs, Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane stands on the brink of glory.

This weekend, as the final whistle blows in Saturday’s thrilling home match against Mainz, he could finally experience the exhilarating breakthrough of clinching a title.

If Bayern Munich beat sixth-placed Mainz and second-placed Bayer Leverkusen fail to beat Augsburg at home, Bayern and Kane will be crowned Bundesliga winners.

Bayern are eight points clear with four games remaining, so a first title for Kane is a mere formality.

But after losing six finals — three with Tottenham, two with England and one with Bayern — a debut title win would be a long-awaited reward for the 31-year-old forward.

After two decades at boyhood club Tottenham, Harry Kane moved to Bayern Munich in 2023, motivated by a desire for team honours.

While Bayern’s dreams of winning the Champions League in their own stadium this season flamed out with a quarter-final loss to Inter Milan, lifting the Bundesliga shield would soothe frustrations after a trophyless 2023-24.

Kane has rarely spoken about the title, preferring to focus on the task at hand, but in February, he revealed how much the pursuit of a team honour drove him.

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“There are many people who, throughout my career, only talk about the fact I haven’t won a title yet. It would be nice to silence a few of them,” Kane said.

Harry Kane would also join Kevin Keegan and Owen Hargreaves as Englishmen who won the Bundesliga.

Speaking with Sky Germany on Wednesday, Bayern powerbroker Uli Hoeness — a key player behind the 100 million euro ($105 million) decision to bring Kane to Bavaria — said “nobody deserves the title more” than the England captain.

Calling Kane “a real Bayern player”, Hoeness lavished praise on the striker, saying, “he fights, he works, he scores an incredible number of goals, but he also works hard for the team.

“You can feel that he absolutely wants to win this title.”

On Saturday, Eintracht Frankfurt can take a step in qualifying for the Champions League through a top-four finish for the first time, when they host RB Leipzig.

Frankfurt, whose only other participation in the modern Champions League came through winning the Europa League, sit three points clear of fourth-placed Leipzig.

Leipzig could fall as low as sixth with a loss, while seventh-placed Borussia Dortmund — who have taken 10 of a possible 12 points in their past four matches — are also within striking distance.

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Harry Kane and Bayern Munich need killer instinct with home final at stake

Bayern Munich and Harry Kane head to Inter Milan on Wednesday needing a victory to reach the semi-finals and keep their dream of playing in a home Champions League final alive.

Inter’s 2-1 win in Munich puts the Italians in the box seat to reach the Champions League semis for the second time in three years.

Despite a bulging injury list, Bayern had enough chances to win the first leg but failed to make their dominance show on the scoresheet.

It has been a familiar story recently for the German giants, and in particular, star striker Kane.

In Saturday’s 2-2 draw against rivals Borussia Dortmund, Vincent Kompany’s men failed to make a glut of chances count.

If the German giants are to reach the Champions League showpiece at their Allianz Arena home at the end of May, Harry Kane and the forward line will need to find their lost killer instinct.

In their past two games, Bayern Munich have scored three times from 46 shots on goal.

Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, centre-backs Dayot Upamecano and Hiroki Ito and wing-back Alphonso Davies will all miss the trip to Milan, hollowing out Bayern’s defence. Midfield creator Jamal Musiala will also be absent.

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Under-pressure central defender Kim Min-jae, who was hooked shortly after a mistake leading to Dortmund’s first on Saturday, is still nursing an Achilles injury but looks set to play on Wednesday.

Against Dortmund, Bayern finished with one fit centre-back on the field: English veteran Eric Dier.

Given the defensive woes, the need to convert chances becomes even more important.

Bayern Munich and Harry Kane had no trouble in the last 16 against Bayer Leverkusen when the England captain scored three goals across the two-game tie.

The 31-year-old has 10 goals in 12 games this Champions League season.

Kane told reporters on Saturday his side were “dominant” but “were a bit wasteful with our chances” against Dortmund, as they had been against Inter in Munich.

“We just have to be more clinical. On another day we would have got three or four against them (Inter). It gives us confidence because we know we can create chances against them,” Harry Kane said.

Bayern Munich are chasing the romance of winning the title on home soil and hoping to exorcise the ghosts of their 2012 final loss to Chelsea in Munich. To reach the semi-finals, Bayern will need a two-goal win, or victory by one followed by a triumph on penalties.

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Thomas Mueller to leave Bayern Munich after 25 years

Bayern Munich legend Thomas Mueller confirmed on Saturday that the club will not offer him a new contract, bringing an end to his 25-year career with the Bundesliga giants at the end of the campaign.

The 35-year-old, whose contract was set to expire in the summer, said in a post on social media that the decision was made by the club and “not what I would have wished”.

Mueller said he did not like how the contract saga played out “back and forth in public” in recent months, but he “felt the appreciation from everyone involved after my long time with Bayern”.

“The special connection to the club and our fantastic fans will always remain,” he said.

Mueller came through the Bayern junior system and has won two Champions Leagues, along with 12 Bundesliga titles.

His focus was now on “bringing the league title back to Munich” as well as reaching this season’s Champions League final, which will be held in Bayern’s Allianz Arena home.

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Later on Saturday, Bayern issued a statement saying Mueller would be honoured with a testimonial match and that the midfielder would play at the Club World Cup in July.

“Thomas Mueller had the definition of a Bavarian fairytale career,” club president Herbert Hainer said.

Mueller was born in the nearby Bavarian town of Weilheim and joined the club aged 10, making his debut under coach Jurgen Klinsmann in 2008 against a Hamburg side featuring current Bayern coach Vincent Kompany.

A one-club player, Mueller’s 743 matches for Bayern in all competitions is the most in the team’s history. He has registered 247 goals and 273 assists for the club in that time.

In recent seasons, Mueller has started from the bench more regularly, leading to growing speculation that he could leave the club.

The midfielder did not reveal where he would play next season, although German media has speculated he could make a late-career move to the United States of America (USA) to play in the MLS.

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Manuel Neuer ruled out for rest of 2024, confirms Bayern Munich boss

Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer will likely not play again in 2024, coach Vincent Kompany confirmed ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Shakhtar Donetsk.

Speaking on Monday, Kompany said “he’s got a broken rib, which means he probably won’t play again this year.

“What’s important is that it heals now. Hopefully from the start of January, we’ll have Manu back, but for now, it’s too early.”

Kompany confirmed that Neuer broke his rib in a collision with Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong on Tuesday, for which the goalie also picked up the first red card of his 866-game career.

Bayern Munich are missing several first-team players as an injury crisis sweeps through the club.

Manuel Neuer, Harry Kane, Kingsley Coman, Alphonso Davies, Joao Palhinha, Serge Gnabry, Josip Stanisic, Hiroki Ito and Mathys Tel are all on the injured list, while backup ‘keeper Sven Ulreich is out for personal reasons.

“We’re missing a lot of players, but I think we’ve come through well so far,” Vincent Kompany said.

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Neuer’s absence means Bayern’s third-choice goalie, Daniel Peretz, will start between the sticks.

The Israel goalkeeper will play his third game for Bayern having made his club debut off the bench after Neuer’s sending off in the 1-0 German Cup last 16 loss to Leverkusen.

The six-time Champions League winners sit in 13th spot on the Champions League table after five matches, after three home wins and away losses to Barcelona and Aston Villa.

A win against Shakhtar would help Bayern’s bid to finish in the top eight and avoid an additional playoff round.

Officially an ‘away’ fixture for Bayern, Tuesday’s match is in the German city of Gelsenkirchen, Shakhtar’s European base this season as their displacement due to Russia’s invasion continues.

Bayern last lost in Gelsenkirchen, the home ground of second-division Schalke, in 2010. Since then, Bayern have won 11 and drawn one of 12 games, scoring 29 goals and conceding just two.

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