Harry Kane Shines as Bayern Munich Extend Lead, Leverkusen Stumble in Title Race

Harry Kane Shines as Bayern Munich Extend Lead, Leverkusen Stumble in Title Race

Harry Kane found the back of the net as Bayern Munich secured a 2-1 victory over Freiburg on Saturday, extending their lead at the top of the Bundesliga to six points. The win came as second-placed Bayer Leverkusen squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at RB Leipzig.

Kane opened the scoring in the 15th minute, capitalizing on a pass from fellow Englishman Eric Dier. His low shot slipped through the hands of Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu, marking Kane’s first goal from open play since November and his 17th in 17 league matches this season.

Bayern doubled their advantage in the 54th minute when Kim Min-jae outmuscled Atubolu to head in a corner delivered by Joshua Kimmich.

Freiburg threatened a comeback as Matthias Ginter headed in a corner with 22 minutes remaining, but Bayern held firm to rebound from their midweek 3-0 Champions League defeat to Feyenoord.

“We’ve played better games than that,” Bayern’s Joshua Kimmich admitted to Sky Germany. “But that is exactly what you need sometimes. We deserved to win.”

Leverkusen Slip Up in Leipzig

Leverkusen’s hopes of keeping pace with Bayern faltered as they dropped points for the first time since early November. Despite a strong performance from Florian Wirtz, who orchestrated both of Leverkusen’s goals, Leipzig fought back to secure a late draw.

Patrik Schick tapped in Leverkusen’s opener after Wirtz’s shot hit the post. Wirtz then set up Aleix Garcia for the second goal, though controversy surrounded the play as Wirtz appeared to foul Leipzig’s David Raum in the buildup.

Raum responded with a thunderous free kick to reduce the deficit, and Leipzig equalized late when Edmond Tapsoba inadvertently turned a Xavi Simons free kick into his own net.

“We’re not satisfied, but we’ll keep going,” said Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso.

Dortmund’s Troubles Deepen

Borussia Dortmund’s struggles continued as they squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at home against Werder Bremen. Playing under interim coach Mike Tullberg after the dismissal of Nuri Sahin, Dortmund faced an uphill battle after Nico Schlotterbeck’s 21st-minute red card for a last-man foul.

Despite the setback, Dortmund surged ahead through Serhou Guirassy’s header and a Marco Friedl own goal. However, Bremen roared back with a stunning strike from Leonardo Bittencourt and a well-timed run and finish from Marvin Ducksch.

Read also: Pep Guardiola Vows Manchester City Will Bounce Back Next Season

Dortmund sporting director Lars Ricken confirmed that Tullberg will remain in charge for their Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk.

Elsewhere in the Bundesliga

– Mainz continued their remarkable season with a 2-0 home win over Stuttgart, moving to sixth and into Champions League contention.

– Augsburg edged Heidenheim 2-1 with a stoppage-time goal from Keven Schlotterbeck.

– Borussia Moenchengladbach hosted bottom-placed Bochum in Saturday’s late fixture.

With the Bundesliga heating up, Bayern’s dominance remains unshaken as their rivals falter.