The 17-year-old became the youngest player to achieve the feat in the competition as he put the hosts in front with a thumping near-post finish midway through the second half.

Sporting had gone in front nine minutes after the break through a Joshua Kimmich own goal as the midfielder slid to try and cut out Ivan Fresneda’s cross at the end of a swift counter attack.

Bayern levelled 10 minutes later when Serge Gnabry was left completely unmarked five yards out to volley home at the far post from Michael Olise’s.

Vincent Kompany’s side were ahead on 69 minutes as Karl controlled Konrad Laimer’s lofted pass into the box before finishing smartly with his right foot.

Goalkeeper Rui Silva might have done better as the ball burst through his hands but could do nothing to prevent Jonathan Tah adding a third for Bayern as the defender stabbed home after Gnabry had nodded the ball into his path from a deep free-kick.

Bayern, who move level on points with Arsenal at the top of the table though having played a game more, dominated the first half with Karl having an early goal ruled for offside and Harry Kane curling a low shot against the post.

Sporting offered a threat on the break but while that route led to the opening goal, Bayern were ultimately too strong as they took another step towards the knockout stages.

The England forward was on the pitch for just 27 minutes before he fired in his third hat-trick of the Bundesliga season.

It takes the striker’s tally to 28 goals in all competitions after just 22 games played.

Konrad Laimer opened the scoring inside 10 minutes when he brilliantly flicked a Michael Olise cross beyond Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nubel.

The hosts responded well and had the ball in the back of the net just before the break through Nikolas Nartey but his header was ruled out for offside.

With the lead slender, Bayern manager Vincent Kompany opted for a triple change on the hour mark which included top scorer Kane.

And it took just five minutes for it to pay off with the England captain firing a brilliant strike into the bottom corner from 25 yards.

Fellow substitute Josip Stanisic made it three before Kane scored his second and Bayern’s fourth from the spot after defender Lorenz Assignon was shown a straight red card for a deliberate handball.

The 32-year-old completed his hat-trick in the 87th minute when he got in front of his marker to poke home Olise’s cross from close range.

Kane moves on to 17 Bundesliga goals for the season, nine in front of his closest challenger for the Golden Boot, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Jonathan Burkardt.

Attention turns to the Champions League next for Bayern as they host Portuguese champions Sporting on Tuesday, 9 December (17:45 GMT), while Stuttgart welcome Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League on Thursday (17:45).

Andreas Hountondji, on loan from Burnley, gave the visitors an early surprise lead after Bayern gave the ball away several times.

Lennart Karl and Tom Bischof both hit the woodwork as Bayern probed for an equaliser.

The leveller did come late in the first half when Luis Diaz, on the ground, flicked the ball on with his heel for Raphael Guerreiro to lash home.

Bayern striker Harry Kane smashed an effort off the post in the second half.

And three minutes into injury time, ex-Liverpool man Diaz headed home from Joshua Kimmich’s cross.

Substitute Nicolas Jackson, on loan from Chelsea, added a late third as St Pauli threw players forward.

Bayern have won 11 and drawn one of their league games this season – with Wednesday’s 3-1 Champions League loss at Arsenal their only defeat so far.

St Pauli remain in the relegation zone after that late heartbreak.

Arsenal were dominant from the beginning of the game and took the lead in the 22nd minute when Jurrien Timber headed in Bukayo Saka’s corner – the 10th goal that Arsenal have scored from a corner this season, the most of any side in Europe’s top five leagues.

Bayern grew into the match after going behind and equalised 10 minutes later when Joshua Kimmich hit a crossfield pass to Serge Gnabry and the former Arsenal forward played the ball across the area for 17-year-old Lennart Karl to score from close range.

It was the first goal that Arsenal had conceded in the competition this season but it did not stop them making it five wins from five.

England winger Madueke put the Gunners in front when substitute Riccardo Calafiori fired a powerful cross into the area for him to help into the net.

The Gunners then wrapped up the win when Sunday’s north London derby hero Eberechi Eze clipped a pass over the defence and Gabriel Martinelli knocked the ball around goalkeeper Manuel Neuer – who was in no man’s land – to hand Bayern Munich their first defeat of the season.

The visitors stunned the defending champions by taking a 2-0 lead after just 17 minutes when Yuito Suzuki scored from close range and Johan Manzambi rose highest to head home Jan-Niklas Beste’s corner.

Bayern, who had not lost in the league since March, responded superbly and had restored parity by half-time.

Teenager Lennart Karl fired into the bottom corner from Olise’s pass in the 22nd minute and set up the Frenchman for a fierce finish in first-half injury-time, although Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu should have done better.

Bayern took control in the second period as Dayot Upamecano headed home Olise’s corner to put them ahead for a first time.

England captain Harry Kane netted his 14th league goal of the campaign on the hour mark, before Olise made it three assists when he threaded a pass through for Nicolas Jackson to finish at the first time of asking in the 78th minute.

Winger Olise completed a sensational afternoon with his second of the game six minutes later, driving at the Freiburg defence and curling into the far corner.

A 10th victory in the first 11 games left Bayern eight points clear of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, while Freiburg remain 10th in the standings.

Vincent Kompany’s side visit Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday (20:00 GMT) with both sides having a perfect record of four wins so far in the league phase of the competition.

Their 16 victories in 16 games in all competitions before Saturday’s Bundesliga clash was the best ever start to a season by any men’s team from the top five European leagues.

But they missed the chance to equal a club record of victories at the start of a Bundesliga season thanks to this late draw.

Bayern fell behind when Danilho Doekhi’s effort following a corner slipped under keeper Manuel Neuer.

This was the first time they had trailed in a match or conceded a goal in the first half this season.

However, Union’s lead was soon wiped out by Diaz’s third goal in two games – and it was a stunning effort.

Josip Stanisic’s slide rule pass looked to be going out but in three touches Diaz kept the ball in play on the byeline, nudged it past the defender on the spin and launched a stinging effort in at the near post from the tightest of angles.

Kane’s unusually quiet afternoon was summed up when he inadvertently headed a Union free-kick straight into the path of Doekhi who finished past Neuer.

But the England captain made amends in the 93rd minute when he headed in from Tom Bischof’s cross for his 13th Bundesliga goal of the season.

Bayern will return from the international break with a home match against Freiburg on Saturday, 22 November (14:30 GMT), while Union will travel to Hamburg to play St Pauli on Sunday, 23 November (16:30).

It was a ninth consecutive league win, and 15 in all competitions, for Vincent Kompany’s men, with the defending champions proving impossible to stop so far.

Serge Gnabry marked his 250th Bundesliga appearance with the opening goal in the 25th minute, slotting past Leverkusen goalkeeper Mark Flekken.

Six minutes later, Nicolas Jackson netted his first league goal for the club since joining on loan from Chelsea in the summer.

An own goal from Loic Bade compounded Leverkusen’s misery as their impressive run of 37 Bundesliga away games without defeat was ended in emphatic fashion.

Jackson also had a goal disallowed for offside and headed another effort over the bar in a good performance leading the line, with Harry Kane given a rare rest.

The England captain, Michael Olise and Luis Diaz started on the bench and came on as part of a triple substitution in the 59th minute.

By that stage, Bayern were in complete control of the contest and moved five points clear of second-placed RB Leipzig with the success, while Leverkusen remain fifth.

Attention turns to the Champions League for both sides as Bayern travel to Paris St-Germain on Tuesday, 4 November (20:00 GMT), while Leverkusen visit Benfica on Wednesday (20:00 GMT).

Head coach Vincent Kompany had offered Boateng the chance to join the German champions for “an internship for a few weeks” during a press conference in September, per Merkur. But after a backlash from supporters, the club announced on Saturday evening that the arrangement will no longer go ahead.

The opposition was provoked by a 2024 ruling by a Munich court, which found Boateng guilty of premeditated bodily harm against his ex-girlfriend in 2018, sentencing him to a warning and a suspended €200,000 fine, per Reuters. He was also required to make a €100,000 donation to charitable causes, but he was not given a criminal record as a result of the judgement.

The ruling was a consequence of his appeal after a Munich court found the former footballer guilty of domestic violence in 2021. Boateng denied the allegations of abuse.

The news that Boateng was due to return to the club provoked demonstrations by Bayern’s supporters, most recently in the game against Borussia Dortmund last weekend, during which they displayed banners strongly opposing the decision.

Boateng, who played for Bayern between 2011 and 2021, announced his retirement from professional football at the end of September. The same week, during a press conference held before a game against Werder Bremen, Kompany opened the door for his return.

Jan-Christian Dreesen, the club’s CEO, had referred to Boateng’s situation as “a complicated case”.

“I believe that every person is entitled to rehabilitation,” Dreesen said via iMiasanmia. “The verdict should be considered in its entirety.

“Again: we have no employment relationship with Jerome. Jerome has been a long-time player with us and won many titles with us. And if there is an agreement for him to watch some training sessions, as is the case as a coach, then that’s absolutely fine.”

Protests quickly followed, with anti-domestic violence banners also being held up at the Allianz Arena during Bayern’s Champions League game against Club Brugge this week.

On Saturday, following their game against Borussia Monchengladbach, after which Kompany was again asked about Boateng’s coaching internship, Bayern released a statement, announcing that he would not be returning on a temporary basis.

The statement read: “In a constructive exchange between FC Bayern and Jerome Boateng had this week, it was decided that Jerome Boateng will not intern at FC Bayern. Jerome feels very connected to FC Bayern and does not want FC Bayern to suffer damage due to the current controversial discussion surrounding his person.”

Boateng released his own statement on his Instagram account, addressing the club, the fans, and Kompany.

It read: “Dear FC Bayern, dear Vincent: after the recent discussions about my person, I have come to the decision to focus on my subjects – the A license, RYZR, and Arena2. That’s currently my focus, and your full focus should solely be on the pitch – and the goal of continuing this impressive streak of 13 consecutive wins.

“I’m very grateful to the club’s management and to you, dear Vincent, for the trust and the opportunity to be a part of it. I wholeheartedly wish… that you achieve your big goals by the end of the season. I also want to sincerely thank the many fans for the numerous messages and their support.”

In addition to playing over 200 games for Bayern, Boateng also represented Hertha Berlin, Hamburg and Manchester City, and made 76 appearances for Germany, with whom he won the 2014 World Cup.

The England captain scored one of the easiest goals of his career in the 14th minute when he was left unmarked to tap in Konrad Laimer’s ball across the face of goal.

Neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo scored their first 20 goals in a season in as few as 12 matches.

Kane’s strike followed a sensational one by teenage sensation Lennart Karl nine minutes earlier as, aged 17 years and 242 days, he became the youngest player to score for Bayern in the Champions League, surpassing Jamal Musiala’s previous record by 121 days.

On his first start, Karl fired in a stunning left-foot shot into the top corner after shimmying past two defenders.

Luis Diaz smashed in a third off the underside of the crossbar in the 34th minute – his seventh goal since his summer move from Liverpool – before Kane hit the post from a tight angle just before the break.

The 32-year-old should have scored again early in the second half, but was thwarted by Brugge goalkeeper Nordin Jackers in a one-on-one opportunity after breaking clear of the defence.

Kane was also denied a tap-in by a superb last-ditch block by Jorne Spileers, and replaced by Nicolas Jackson with 20 minutes remaining.

The Senegal striker scored Bayern’s fourth from close range minutes, sealing a third successive win in the competition, after Diaz had an effort cleared off the line.

Bayern moved up to second behind Paris St-Germain in the league phase standings on goals scored with nine points, while Brugge are 20th with three points.

The German champions will travel to France on 4 November to face holders PSG (20:00 GMT), while Club Brugge host Barcelona the following day (20:00 GMT).

Not Bayern’s first choice when he was appointed in the summer of 2024, Belgian Kompany reclaimed the German title for the Bavarians from Bayer Leverkusen in his debut season at the club.

This term, the 39-year-old has Bayern flying with 11 wins in 11 games, sitting atop the Champions League and Bundesliga tables.

“It feels like I’ve been here a lot longer and that I know the club well,” former Manchester City captain Kompany said in a statement.

“It’s been a great experience so far. We’ve started on a wonderful journey. Let’s keep working hard and celebrate much more success!”

Kane was first to Joshua Kimmich’s 22nd-minute corner in Der Klassiker in Munich, nodding Bayern in front with his 21st goal from his 12th match for club and country this season.

Bayern added a second in unusual fashion in the second half when Jobe Bellingham’s clearance from inside his own six-yard box bounced in off a sliding Michael Olise.

Dortmund cut the deficit through Julian Brandt, who turned in Julian Ryerson’s cross in the 84th minute, but Bundesliga leaders Bayern held on to maintain their 100% winning start to the season.

Kane’s 400th goal in club football came 14 years and nine months after his first, which he struck in a 4-0 win for Leyton Orient while on loan from Tottenham, against Sheffield Wednesday in League One in January 2011.

The 32-year-old is averaging a goal almost every 52 minutes this season, and has 104 goals in 107 appearances since he joined Bayern from Tottenham in 2023.

He has also scored 280 goals for Spurs, five goals for Leyton Orient, nine goals for Millwall and two goals for Leicester.

Kane, who has also scored a record 76 goals for England, was once again the star on Saturday. Spending large periods of the game in a deeper role he launched numerous Bayern attacks from inside his own half.

His landmark goal came from his first shot on target in his 607th career match and was his 12th Bundesliga strike of this season.

He has scored in every match he has featured in this campaign bar one, Bayern’s 3-2 win over Augsburg is August, a game in which he provided two assists.

Kane is halfway through the four-year deal he signed when joining from Tottenham Hotspur for £86.4m in the summer of 2023.

The 32-year-old has scored 103 goals in 106 appearances for the German club, helping them win the 2024-25 Bundesliga title – the first honour of his career.

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has said he would like to see Kane return to England, where he needs 48 goals to eclipse Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League scoring record of 260.

But the England captain says he is no longer as keen on returning home as he once was, and would consider extending his stay in Bavaria.

“In terms of staying longer, I could definitely see that,” he said.

“I spoke openly a couple of weeks ago that I have not had those conversations with Bayern yet, but if they were to arise I would be willing to talk and have an honest conversation.

“Obviously it depends on how the next year or so goes and what we achieve together. Right now, I would say we are in a fantastic moment and I am not thinking about anything else.

“In terms of the Premier League, I don’t know. If you had asked me when I first left to go to Bayern, I would have said for sure I would come back.

“Now I have been there a couple of years I would probably say that has gone down a little bit, but I wouldn’t say I would never go back.

“What I have learned in my career is that different opportunities and different timings happen and things fall in place. Going back to my first point with Bayern right now I am fully all in with Bayern.”

Kane is all-time top scorer for both Tottenham and England and recently became the fastest player this century to reach 100 goals for a club playing in one of Europe’s top five leagues, reaching the landmark in just 104 games for Bayern. But a trophy had eluded him until he lifted the German title last season.

Kane says he was not sure how he would react after ending his trophy drought, but now believes it has made him hungry for more.

“When you win a title like I did last year, maybe it could be easy to go the other way and be like, ‘OK I’ve done what I wanted to achieve’,” he said.

“But it’s given me more motivation to do more and be better. I think I’ve shown that this year.

“I was interested in how I would feel after winning a trophy. Obviously there’s still a lot more I want to achieve in terms of other trophies and bigger trophies for sure.

“But I think it was always just, in my head, what I was going to feel like after I did achieve winning my first one.

“But for sure, I pushed myself the other way in terms of being even better, eating even cleaner, doing more gym. Just trying to get the most out of what I’ve got right now.”

The England captain won and converted a penalty on the stroke of half-time, before firing home from close range in the 65th minute to reach the century mark in just 104 games.

The previous record of 105 games was set by Cristiano Ronaldo while playing for Real Madrid in 2011, and matched by Manchester City striker Erling Haaland last year.

Former Liverpool winger Luis Diaz had opened the scoring when he deflected in a Jonathan Tah flick from a corner, while Konrad Laimer slipped home a late fourth as leaders Bayern preserved their unbeaten start to the season.

Kane broke two other records in his side’s 4-1 victory against Hoffenheim last weekend, during which he scored a hat-trick.

He reached 70 Bundesliga goals in just his 67th game in the competition, faster than anyone else in the league’s history.

Previously, the 32-year-old broke the record for the most goals scored in 50 Bundesliga games (54 goals), and the fewest number of games needed to reach 50 goals in the competition (43 matches).

On Friday, Kane also became the first player in Bundesliga history to convert their first 18 penalties, as well as score 18 consecutive spot-kicks.

Kane was the first player in Bundesliga history to finish top scorer in both his first two seasons, and the only player to score 25 or more goals in their first two campaigns in the competition.

He has started this campaign with 15 in eight games in all competitions – including two hat-tricks in five Bundesliga games – with Vincent Kompany’s side top of the league table with a 100% record.

Kane is the highest scoring Englishman in Champions League history (42 goals), and scored against all 20 teams he has faced in the Bundesliga.

Only Miroslav Klose has played against more sides, while scoring against all of them (28).

Kane joined Bayern from Tottenham Hotspur in a £100m transfer in 2023, having scored 280 goals in 435 games in all competitions for the Premier League club.

He has two years remaining on the four-year contract he signed with the Munich outfit, although he has recently been linked with former club Spurs and Manchester United.

But when asked on Friday if he was thinking of a Premier League return, Kane said: “No, not at the moment. I’m really happy here. I have two years left on my contract.

“I’m enjoying every moment. That is not in my thought process. I’m enjoying it with the team, with the coach, and hopefully we continue to be successful.”

‘People are just in awe of what he does’

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Kane trails Gerd Muller’s Bundesliga goals record of 365

Kane moved to Germany in the same summer that Jude Bellingham left Borussia Dortmund to join Real Madrid.

The young midfielder’s contribution to Real Madrid’s La Liga and Champions League double in 2023-24 placed him as England’s best player playing abroad, but Kane has arguably been more consistent.

“It has been grotesquely unfair on Harry Kane [that Bellingham has received more praise],” said Pat Nevin during BBC Radio 5 Live’s coverage of Bayern’s 3-1 Champions League win against Chelsea last week.

“Kane has had an even bigger impact here on Bayern Munich. There are maybe not as many good players around him and there have been times where Kane has been carrying this team. He really should be looked upon as one of the greats.”

Bayern have had some legendary strikers in their history, so where does Kane rank among them?

“They think he is the best of all of them and that includes Robert Lewandowski,” German football expert Raphael Honigstein said on the Radio 5 Live Euro Leagues podcast.

“He has done it in a way that is so unique because we don’t associate centre-forwards with selflessness and humility and wanting to defend in their own box.

“Kane has gone to another level in the last two or three weeks and has captured the imagination of the German public that is unusual for a non-German player.

“People are just in awe of what he does. The one player everyone talks about in Germany is Harry Kane.”

Kane scored either side of half-time as Bayern beat Chelsea.

“Kane looks sharp, he looks really on point,” said former Blues striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink on the MOTD UCL highlights show.

“He looks willing [to run]. He looks like he is always going to be dangerous.

“We all say he is not the quickest, but he still can bring the ball [up the pitch and] into the final third. He really is on the very top of his form.”

Asked whether Kane sometimes has to carry Bayern, he added: “Yes, but that is what they bought him for. That is the pressure that he has and he is delivering.”

Bayern boss Kompany was keen to highlight the work Kane does away from the box.

“It is more about his work off the ball,” said the former Manchester City captain. “Watch him move, press and help the team. He has to run, get back onside to win the penalty. He spends energy to get chances and rewards.

“That’s the side of it I keep highlighting. You can talk about quality and talent but there is a lot of hard work behind it.”

The England captain, 32, broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time with a clinical first-time finish from a cleverly worked low corner, and doubled Bayern’s lead from the spot after Albian Hajdari was harshly penalised for a handball.

That broke Hoffenheim’s resistance and Kane completed his ninth Bundesliga hat-trick with another penalty, given for a foul on substitute Michael Olise after a video assistant referee (VAR) check.

This time Kane sent home keeper Oliver Baumann the wrong way for his 13th Bayern goal in seven matches across all competitions this season – adding to his Champions League double against Chelsea on Wednesday.

Hoffenheim had the better of the first 45 minutes, Fisnik Asllani only able to hit the post after goalkeeper Manuel Neuer passed straight to the Kosovan.

They eventually got some reward for their efforts, former West Ham full-back Vladimir Coufal’s deflected free-kick beating Neuer to earn the Czech his first goal for the club.

Ex-Liverpool winger Luis Diaz hit the top of the bar late on as he failed to continue his record of scoring in every Bundesliga game this season, but Serge Gnabry added a fourth for Bayern with the last kick – converting a rebound from a tight angle after Baumann saved from Joshua Kimmich.

Nicolas Jackson made his first start since joining Bayern on an initial loan deal from Chelsea, but the Senegal striker had a very quiet game before being replaced in the 62nd minute.

Enzo Maresca’s side were second-best as they lost 3-1 to a more experienced Bayern Munich side at Allianz Arena on Wednesday.

It was Chelsea’s first appearance in the Champions League since April 2023 – and the match suggested a young team will need to reflect on what it takes to succeed at that level.

But head coach Maresca suggested his side can take plenty from the defeat and “build something special” – while forward Palmer has dismissed the idea that they can’t do that quickly.

“We are not coming here for it to be a learning curve,” the England international said.

“We have shown tonight we want to compete and we want to do as best as we can.”

Chelsea won the Club World Cup in July, beating Paris St-Germain in New Jersey, having won the Conference League two months earlier, but their former forward Pat Nevin always felt the Champions League was going to be a greater test.

“It was the kind of performance that I expected from Chelsea,” Nevin said on BBC Radio 5 Live. “A lot of people were saying beforehand that they were going to break into this competition, they are Club World Cup champions and all of that, but I was thinking, ‘steady on’.

“The jump you need to do to come to places like this is quite big and a number of players just don’t have that experience yet. They weren’t able to do it as a group today.”

Chelsea acknowledge weaknesses

Maresca may have been broadly pleased with his team’s performance, but accepted they lacked “full focus for the full 95 minutes”.

He added: “I think the players were already aware of this competition, of the difficulties.

“You cannot commit mistakes in the way we have done, but I just said to the players, it’s a game that we can learn a lot from, and build something special from this defeat.”

Chelsea played well, especially early on when Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez missed good chances, but mistakes cost them.

They switched off at a drop-ball, leaving Bayern winger Michael Olise free to deliver a cross that Trevoh Chalobah turned into his own net. Then midfielder Moises Caicedo brought down Harry Kane to concede a penalty – which the England captain converted.

After Palmer had pulled a goal back, Kane sealed victory in the second half when defender Malo Gusto gave away the ball.

They were all defensive lapses against ruthless opposition. Bayern – a team who have won their first match in each of their past 22 Champions League campaigns – know the ropes at this level, in a way the current Chelsea side do not.

Can Chelsea overcome their naivety?

Nevin added on 5 Live: “It wasn’t quite men against boys, but Bayern Munich were certainly a good distance ahead of Chelsea here.

“The mistakes Chelsea made were quite naive and they were caught out, not just for the goals, but for a whole raft of chances aside from that. That’s what happens with young players playing in this competition, but they will learn from that.

“This level is elite. It is a jump. And that jump may take them a little while.”

Inexperience may well have been an issue: In Munich, Chelsea fielded their third-youngest ever Champions League team.

Their entire 24-man squad went into Wednesday’s match with just 117 appearances in the competition between them. By contrast, goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, 39, has played 131 times in the Champions League for Bayern Munich alone.

His team-mates Kane, Joshua Kimmich and Serge Gnabry have substantial experience at this level. By contrast, Chelsea pair Caicedo and Marc Cucurella were making their debuts in the competition despite being among the team’s star names.

Even head coach Maresca, part of Pep Guardiola’s staff during Manchester City’s 2023 Treble-winning campaign, may need to step up to this level.

It felt as if a third Bayern goal was coming for a few minutes before Kane scored it – but Maresca seemed slow to react, and only made changes after his team had gone 3-1 down.

It was too little, all too late.

Kane, 32, won and scored and penalty before sealing victory in the second half through a curled shot after a Malo Gusto mistake.

Earlier, Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah scored an own goal, while a returning Cole Palmer had placed a shot into the top corner to pull one back on his 100th appearance in all competitions for the west Londoners.

There were warnings in the second half as Michael Olise and Kane missed good chances when Chelsea – back in the Champions League for the first time since the 2022-23 season – were chasing an equaliser.

Ultimately, Gusto’s misplaced pass led to Kane’s curled shot in the 63rd minute that ended the match as a contest.

It was one of a number of defensive mistakes, including the visitors switching off at a drop-ball situation before Chalobah’s own goal and midfielder Moises Caicedo bringing Kane down in the box.

Chelsea squandered a positive start, missing early chances through Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez.

Meanwhile, Palmer also had a late goal ruled out for a narrow offside.

The Blues were ultimately out-thought by a more streetwise and experienced Bayern side, who have won their opening Champions League match for the 22nd season in a row.

Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, 39, played his 151st match in the Champions League. By contrast, Chelsea’s entire 24-man squad had made only 117 appearances at this level before kick-off.

The west Londoners next welcome Benfica in the Champions League, which could see Jose Mourinho return to Stamford Bridge, with the Portuguese expected to be appointed manager this week.

Bayern will pay an initial £14.3m to take the 24-year-old on loan for the rest of the 2025-26 season.

Personal terms are already in place for a future five-year permanent contract for Jackson, whose deal with Bayern was in doubt after Chelsea instructed him to return when Liam Delap was injured in Saturday’s Premier League win over Fulham.

The Senegal forward joined Chelsea from £32m from Villarreal in 2023 and scored 30 goals in 81 matches.

“I’m really happy to now be part of this great club,” said Jackson. “Bayern is one of the best clubs in the world.

“Everyone knows the names of the legends who’ve played here and knows that this club stands for the greatest success.

“I’ve got big goals and dreams here and will give my all to help Bayern win further titles.”

Jackson had been an automatic starter for Chelsea until his red card at St James’s Park in April – his second dismissal of the season – which left the club without a striker as they were competing for a place in the Champions League.

He was then sent off within four minutes of coming on as a second-half substitute in the 3-1 group-stage defeat by Flamengo at the Club World Cup, Fifa’s expanded competition which Chelsea ultimately won. Strikers Delap and Joao Pedro arrived to replace him during the tournament.

Multiple sources with knowledge of the situation said Jackson ultimately lost the trust of manager Enzo Maresca and some of the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge, prompting him to seek a move.

It was a shift in mood as Maresca said earlier in April that the frontman was his “perfect number nine” and wanted “a copy of Nico” rather than to replace him.

Jackson could face Chelsea on September 17 (20:00 BST) in Munich as Uefa rules allow loanees to face their parent clubs in the Champions League.

Sources have told BBC Sport that the 24-year-old is angry with the collapse of his initial £13m loan deal, and attempts are expected to be made to salvage it.

The decision was made after striker Liam Delap suffered a serious-looking hamstring injury in Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Fulham on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca saying post match that he may be out for “six to eight weeks”.

It follows a remarkable whirlwind 24 hours in which Chelsea went from having four strikers to just one.

First Christopher Nkunku joined AC Milan permanently for £36m, then Jackson flew to Germany to complete his move, while Delap was injured after sprinting for a ball in the first half at Stamford Bridge.

That left the in-form Joao Pedro, who has five goals in five starts, as Chelsea’s last remaining striker.

When asked whether Jackson’s move could collapse after the match, Maresca said: “I just finished the game, came here and have no idea. We’re going to sit now and we’ll see. Honestly, I have no idea.

“When you have two strikers, it’s enough. When one of them is injured for different weeks, probably it’s not enough.”

Is it a mistake to let both Nkunku and Jackson go?

Many Chelsea supporters were already asking the same question during the match, about whether it was too late to cancel Jackson’s loan move to Germany.

Tyrique George, a 19-year-old winger from the academy, replaced Delap at Stamford Bridge and gave a creditable display while out of position, but he too could leave Chelsea before deadline day.

On George, Maresca said: “Today we played more than one hour with Tyrique [George], and he did brilliant.”

It was ironic that Chelsea’s only fit striker, Joao Pedro, was himself filling in for star attacker Cole Palmer in his favoured number 10 position.

When George was picked, Maresca looked short of options with winger Jamie Gittens – signed from Dortmund for £48.5m over the summer – the only other attacker on his bench.

It is a remarkable situation given Chelsea have more than £300m worth of attackers in their squad.

However, Chelsea had decided against carrying three senior strikers because of Jackson’s desire not to be an emergency back-up, and with Nkunku having been unhappy at the club for more than six months.

Pedro Neto showed last season that he is capable of filling in on an emergency basis, with Palmer and George both having played as up-front in the past. Academy striker Shim Mheuka, 17, is also top scorer in the under-21s league with four goals in three matches.

Meanwhile, winger Alejandro Garnacho was sat in the directors’ box on Saturday before completing a £40m move from Manchester United. Chelsea are also closing in on a move for Brighton’s Facundo Buonanotte, who is capable of playing as a 10 or on the right wing.

Chelsea would have eight attacking players for four roles on the pitch after the two Argentine attackers arrive, with a well-stocked academy in behind them.

However, they must be suitably worried about Delap to have taken a shock decision to pull the plug on Jackson’s move, at least for now, and bring him back to Stamford Bridge.

It took 27 minutes for the hosts to break the deadlock when Michael Olise sent a powerful strike into the far corner after the ball dropped invitingly into his path.

Serge Gnabry was instrumental in the build-up to that goal and also the second five minutes later as the German picked out Luis Diaz after an excellent passing routine.

The Colombian forward rifled an effort in off the underside of the crossbar for his first Bundesliga goal since his summer arrival from Liverpool.

Gnabry’s excellence was apparent again for Bayern’s third just before the break, tricking the Leipzig defence into thinking he was about to shoot before teeing up Olise instead to thunder home.

Kane got his first of the night in the 64th minute, cutting inside to round off a swift counter-attack and tuck an effort past Peter Gulacsi.

The visitors thought they had a goal back soon after, but substitute Antonio Nusa’s goal was disallowed as the ball was rolling when a free-kick in the build-up was taken.

Leipzig’s luck only got worse, with Kane whipping an expert effort inside the far post from the edge of the box to add a fifth goal to Bayern’s tally.

He sealed a dominant success for his side when he netted his third in the 77th minute, a beleaguered Leipzig defence unable to keep up with Bayern’s running, leaving Kane unmarked and able to slot home.

The 30-year-old, who joined the German side from Fulham in 2024, was limited to just 17 Bundesliga appearances last season.

Spurs boss Thomas Frank was keen to sign a defensive-minded midfielder following his appointment, with question marks over the futures of Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur.

Tottenham also have the option of signing Palhinha on a permanent basis at the end of his loan.

The Portugal international has significant Premier League experience, making 68 top-flight appearances in two years at Fulham before his move to Bayern for £42.3m.

Palhinha comfortably topped the rankings for tackles with a total of 300 during his previous stint in the English top-flight – 109 more than any other player – and ranked sixth for interceptions (92).

His combative style of play, however, does carry risks having received 27 yellow cards across 2022-23 and 2023-24 – at least five more than anyone else.

Palhinha becomes Spurs’ third summer signing, following the £55m acquisition of Mohammed Kudus and French forward Mathys Tel’s arrival from Bayern on a permanent basis after a loan spell.

The Colombia international has signed a four-year deal with the German club to bring his three-and-a-half-year stay at Anfield to an end.

The 28-year-old was left out of Liverpool’s pre-season match against AC Milan on Saturday because of speculation over his future.

Having rejected Bayern’s opening offer of £58.6m earlier this month, Liverpool accepted a follow-up bid of £65.5m over the weekend and gave Diaz permission to have a medical with the club.

“I’m very happy, it means a lot to me to be part of FC Bayern – it’s one of the biggest clubs in the world,” said Diaz, who will wear the number 14 shirt at the club.

“I want to help my new team with my style of football and my personality. My goal is to win every possible title – we will work towards that every day as a team.”

Diaz joined Liverpool from Porto for an initial £37m in January 2022, scoring 41 goals in 148 appearances during his time at Anfield.

He won the FA Cup and EFL Cup during his opening season with the Reds, and was part of the side that lost to Real Madrid in the 2022 Champions League final.

Diaz enjoyed the most prolific season of his career last term, scoring 17 goals in all competitions as Liverpool won the Premier League.

Liverpool rejected an initial bid of £58.6m from Bayern for the Colombia forward earlier this month.

Diaz, 28, was left out of Liverpool’s squad for Saturday’s 4-2 pre-season friendly defeat by AC Milan in Hong Kong because of speculation surrounding his future.

He has been given permission by Liverpool to fly to Europe from Asia to complete a medical in the coming days.

Liverpool have signed forwards Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike already this summer and are interested in Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak.

Diaz arrived at Anfield from Porto in a deal worth an initial £37m in January 2022 and has scored 41 goals in 148 appearances, including 13 as the Reds won the Premier League title last season.

His 17 goals in all competitions in 2024-25 was the most prolific season of his career.

Bayern won their 34th Bundesliga title last season and scored a league-high 99 goals, but only made it to the last 16 of the German Cup and exited the Champions League in the quarter-finals.

Diaz will provide an attacking option for the Bavarian side, who will be without forward Jamal Musiala for a “long period” after he suffered a broken leg and dislocated ankle at the Club World Cup.

Why Bayern want Diaz

It is easy to see why Diaz is an attractive prospect for Bayern.

Diaz’s shot conversion rate of 18.3% in 24-25 comfortably ranked as his best in a Premier League season.

Many of his other attributes stood out statistically too.

Diaz sat just outside the top 10 in the Premier League for most combined goals and assists (18), shots on target (30), chances created (56) and dribbles completed (52).

His defensive attributes and work-rate are also evidenced by the fact he won possession in the final third on 22 occasions, more than any other Liverpool player relative to their time spent on the pitch.

The Bundesliga side had an initial £58.6m bid for the Colombia international turned down by the Premier League champions earlier this month.

But Bayern are determined to land Diaz and sources are indicating that the German title holders are hoping an agreement can be reached.

The offer – inclusive of add-ons – will likely be more than £60m.

Diaz was left out of Liverpool’s squad for Saturday’s 4-2 pre-season friendly defeat by AC Milan in Hong Kong because of speculation surrounding his departure from the club.

“There are a lot of rumours around him lately and I cannot go into that,” said Liverpool manager Arne Slot.

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

Liverpool have signed forwards Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike already this summer and are interested in Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak.

Diaz arrived at Anfield from Porto in a deal worth an initial £37m in January 2022 and he was an integral part of the squad that won the 2024-25 Premier League title.

The German club approached Liverpool earlier this month but were told Diaz was not for sale.

That position was reinforced on Tuesday as Liverpool turned down the Bundesliga side’s first bid for the 28-year-old Colombia international.

Liverpool value Diaz, whose contract expires in the summer of 2027, in excess of £87m as a key member of Arne Slot’s squad.

He scored 22 goals for club and country last season, with 13 of those in the Premier League as Liverpool won the title by 10 points.

Diaz attracted interest from Manchester City last summer, and also has admirers in Saudi Arabia.

Liverpool are in the market for a striker and are known to have firm interest in Newcastle’s Sweden international Alexander Isak.

BBC Sport understands the Premier League champions have made genuine moves towards a deal to sign Isak in recent days. They have also explored the parameters for other centre-forward targets.

Bayern director of sport Max Eberl has been informed that the Premier League club have no intention of selling Diaz and will not enter into discussions for the attacker.

Diaz, 28, was the subject of a similar approach from Barcelona earlier this summer which the Premier League champions also rebuffed.

Liverpool are adamant that Diaz is not for sale at any price this summer, given his key contribution to the team since his arrival from Porto in 2022.

The Colombia international scored 22 goals for club and country last season as he emerged as an integral member of Arne Slot’s title-winning side.

He scored 13 goals and made seven assists in the league as Liverpool won the title by 10 points.

Diaz, who has two years left to run on his contract at Anfield, attracted interest from Manchester City last summer and also has admirers in Saudi Arabia.

“I’m very happy at Liverpool – I’ve always said so,” said Diaz when on international duty earlier this summer.

“The transfer market is opening, and we’re trying to arrange what’s best for us. I’m waiting to see what happens.

“If Liverpool give us a good extension or I have to see out my two-year contract, I’ll be happy. It all depends on them. I’m here to decide and see what’s best for us and the future.”

Brazilians Flamengo had gone into the game on an 11-match unbeaten run but fell behind inside six minutes when Chilean midfielder Erick Pulgar diverted Joshua Kimmich’s corner into his own net via the inside of the far post.

It was 2-0 just three minutes later, Kane rifling home a fierce low drive – via a slight deflection off Leo Ortiz – after Dayot Upamecano had dispossessed Giorgian de Arrascaeta inside the Flamengo half.

Gerson beat Manuel Neuer with a rasping strike to give Flamengo hope 12 minutes before half-time, but Leon Goretzka restored Bayern’s two-goal advantage with a long-range effort that appeared to wrongfoot goalkeeper Agustin Rossi on its way in.

Former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Jorginho sent Neuer the wrong way from the penalty spot after Michael Olise had handled De Arrascaeta’s shot inside the box early in the second half, but another clinical Kane finish completed the scoring with 18 minutes remaining.

Bayern will face European champions Paris St-Germain in Saturday’s quarter-final.

Vincent Kompany’s side outclassed the New Zealand part-timers, with Jamal Musiala scoring a hat-trick and Thomas Muller grabbing two goals as his long farewell to the club continued.

Bayern took the lead through Kingsley Coman’s sixth-minute header as the floodgates opened early.

Sacha Boey lashed home Coman’s knockdown on the half-volley to double Bayern’s advantage 12 minutes later, and former Crystal Palace man Michael Olise turned in Muller’s cross at the far post to make it 3-0.

It was 4-0 just a minute later, with Coman sending a left-footed drive into the bottom corner for his second of the game.

Muller, playing his final tournament for Bayern before leaving the club later this summer, guided Olise’s cross past Auckland goalkeeper Conor Tracey to score the German club’s fifth, before Olise sent a curling strike into the far corner to make it 6-0 at half-time.

The flurry of Bayern goals slowed early in the second half but Musiala eventually added a seventh for Kompany’s team, finding the bottom corner with another curling effort six minutes after coming off the bench.

Musiala, who missed the final six games of the Bundesliga season with a hamstring injury, scored his second from the penalty spot after being tripped inside the area before pounding on a loose ball deep inside the Auckland half to complete a hat-trick.

Bayern scored their 10th with two minutes remaining, Muller converting Serge Gnabry’s cross.

The victory comfortably surpassed the previous biggest win at the Club World Cup – Al Hilal’s 6-1 win over Al Jazira in 2022.

Spurs have agreed to pay a fee of about £30m for the 20-year-old, who will sign a six-year contract when his loan deal ends on 30 June.

Tel, who is with the France squad at the European Under-21 Championship, joined Spurs on loan during the January transfer window with an option to buy him for £45m, but they successfully negotiated the fee down.

He made 20 appearances for Spurs last season, scoring three goals, and was an unused substitute for their victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final.

Tottenham are interested in signing Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo, who is also a target for Manchester United.

The 25-year-old’s former manager at Brentford, Thomas Frank, was named Spurs boss on Thursday.

The 35-year-old, who has won 13 Bundesliga titles and two Champions Leagues in Bavaria, will leave the club he has spent his entire senior career with when his contract expires this summer.

Muller made his 503rd Bundesliga appearance to go 12th in the league’s all-time appearance list, though he couldn’t add to his 248 club goals before being replaced by Harry Kane after an hour.

Michael Olise opened the scoring in the 33rd minute with a curling free-kick over the wall that sneaked inside the post.

Hoffenheim striker Andrej Kramaric has scored eight goals against Bayern during his career – more than any current Bundesliga player – but the Croatian missed a clear chance in a one-on-one with Manuel Neuer early in the second half.

Shortly afterwards, Joshua Kimmich doubled Bayern’s advantage when his close-range strike deflected past Oliver Baumann, before Serge Gnabry added a third with a low shot from the edge of the penalty area, and Kane scored his 26th league goal of the season.

Kane’s former Tottenham team-mate Eric Dier made his final appearance for Bayern before a free transfer to Monaco this summer.

Leroy Sane came on as a late substitute amid speculation he could also leave the club this summer.

Champions Bayern finish the campaign 13 points clear of closest challengers Bayer Leverkusen, while Hoffenheim avoided dropping into the relegation play-off spot thanks to Heidenheim’s defeat by Werder Bremen.

“There are many people who, throughout my career, only talk about the fact I haven’t won a title yet,” the England captain said recently, as Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga crown began to look more inevitable. “It would be nice to silence a few of them.”

Kane even saw the irony in the fact his 14-year wait for a senior trophy might end while he watched on from the stands as Bayern faced RB Leipzig on Saturday, having been handed a one-game suspension following his fifth yellow card of the season last week.

“It’s kind of my story that I’ll miss the Leipzig game,” said the 31-year-old. “But no worries, I’ll celebrate more than anyone else.”

Kane even made his way to the touchline ready to join the party until a stoppage-time Leipzig leveller meant the wait was delayed by a day when second-placed Bayer Leverkusen drew 2-2 at Freiburg on Sunday.

That saw Vincent Kompany’s side secure the German title, and means Kane has finally put to rest the notion that a glittering individual career may finish without any silverware.

“I’m thrilled for him because he deserves it so much,” former Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur striker Jurgen Klinsmann told BBC Sport.

“He has proven it throughout the last 10 years. His numbers are absolutely insane and he will do that for another couple of years because he’s in top shape still, he’s fit, he’s hungry.

“I’m really happy for him. I just love to watch him.”

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Harry Kane’s debut ended in defeat by RB Leipzig in the German Super Cup

Kane’s career has not followed the trajectory one might expect for England’s all-time record goalscorer. As an under-14s player at Tottenham, according to former youth coach Alex Inglethorpe, he “wasn’t even on the podium” when it came to the age-group’s top talents.

He was still a youth player the last time Spurs won a trophy, the League Cup in 2008, but earned his breakthrough with the first-team squad and signed his first professional deal in July 2010. Then there were hard-grafting loan spells with Leyton Orient in League One and in the Championship with Millwall and Leicester, as well as with Norwich in the Premier League.

Once Kane established himself at White Hart Lane, he blossomed into Spurs’ best homegrown player of a generation, becoming the club’s all-time top scorer with 280 goals in 435 games and climbing to second in the Premier League ranks with 213, behind only Alan Shearer’s 260.

Yet for all the goals, and three Premier League Golden Boots, a decade in lilywhite yielded only a series of near-misses – a Champions League final defeat by Liverpool, twice runners-up in the League Cup and beaten to the title in successive seasons by Leicester and Chelsea.

That story repeated itself with England, as they were runners-up at the past two European Championships and beaten in the 2018 World Cup semi-final by Croatia, despite Kane winning the Golden Boot in Russia seven years ago and finishing as joint top-scorer at last summer’s Euros.

“I always said that if Harry leaves Spurs, he will get the opportunity to win titles,” added Klinsmann, who also won his only championship after leaving Tottenham for Bayern in 1995.

Indeed, trophies seemed like a foregone conclusion when Kane joined Bayern for an initial 100m euros (£86.4m) in August 2023 – a club who had won 11 successive Bundesliga titles before his arrival.

Kane even had a shot at silverware on his debut, but Bayern lost 3-0 to RB Leipzig in the German Super Cup at Allianz Arena with the England captain coming off the bench for the final half hour.

Was he cursed? When Bayern were then knocked out of the German Cup by third-tier Saarbrucken, some may have believed so.

Leverkusen ran away with the league as Bayern finished third, their lowest position since 2011, while Thomas Tuchel’s side were beaten by eventual winners Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals.

“People made bad jokes about him,” explained Taufig Khalil, commentator for ARD Radio.

“Bayern Munich won the German championship 11 years in a row, Harry Kane came for 100m-plus and the next season Bayern Munich did not win a single trophy!

“It was tough for him. He came to Munich because he knew this is the club where you can win trophies, where you will be on top. And then he came and it was a very bad season last year.”

‘People love him’ – the importance of fitting in

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Harry Kane enjoys Munich’s Oktoberfest

Kane never wavered in his desire to keep improving after becoming the Bundesliga’s record signing. He spoke recently about studying the game’s greats and having the drive to consistently be one of the world’s best.

He has dealt with the pressure of essentially replacing Robert Lewandowski, who left in 2022 as Bayern’s second all-time scorer behind Gerd Muller.

“Bayern Munich has a huge tradition of number nines,” explained Klinsmann.

“There is always a special eye on them. To fill that spot is just an honour. It’s something very special. He knows that he is followed closely by everyone.”

And not just in Munich – Khalil said rival fans see it as a privilege to have Kane in Germany: “When the captain of the Three Lions is playing in the Bundesliga – wow, that’s big!”

Yet there is no superstar ego on boy from east London.

He is regarded as incredibly professional and a leader among the squad – a player a lot of his younger team-mates look up to and someone who is very respectful, whether that be in training or completing the many media and partner obligations that come with representing a European giant like Bayern.

“He has a royal approach,” added Khalil. “When he enters the stadium, he greets everybody, he is very friendly. If there is a moment he doesn’t want to talk in the mixed zone, then he excuses himself. A lot of other players walk through with headphones on or use the telephone and try not to look in the eyes of the media.

“Normally he stops, he is always ready to talk. He is an absolutely leading person in that club. He gives a lot of that James Bond gratitude – he is the striker with the licence to score!”

Kane has thrown himself into life in Munich, embracing the culture, trips to Oktoberfest, visiting supporters’ clubs and taking German lessons, even if he has previously joked his kids will learn the language before him.

“What he’s done extremely well is adapt to Bavaria with so much ease,” said Klinsmann. “He became part of the lifestyle, the city and his family just fit into the way of life there.

“It’s an international place, Munich, so it’s not too problematic but still, you’ve got to go to another country and keep your work-rate at the highest level while figuring out that your family are comfortable and having a good time.”

He is popular, too. Kane quickly struck up a friendship with Bayern’s all-time leading appearance-maker Thomas Muller, who will leave at the end of the season, and is known to play golf with the Germany forward and midfielder Konrad Laimer, among others.

Naturally, he is also good friends with former Spurs team-mate Eric Dier, another player well-liked throughout the squad, with both England internationals regarded as being important to team chemistry at Bayern.

“The people love him,” added Klinsmann. “He is just himself. He is humble and down to earth. He focuses on what is important and for him, that is scoring goals.”

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Eric Dier joined England team-mate Harry Kane at Bayern in January 2024

‘No-one deserves title more than Kane’

After six final defeats – three with Spurs, two with England and one with Bayern – the humble yet ruthless goal-getter’s perseverance has paid off.

Kane’s first German title is Bayern Munich’s 34th, but there can be no doubting the Englishman’s importance to Kompany’s side.

“It helps when you have a top player who wants to run and fight for the team like a youth player,” said the former Manchester City and Belgium captain. “I played against him as an opponent and he has become better with age.”

Kane is the division’s top scorer with 24 goals and has 36 in all competitions this season, having scored 11 in the Champions League.

That was a competition in which Bayern were desperate to reach the final at their home stadium in Munich, but Kane missed a big chance in the quarter-final first leg against Inter and, despite scoring in the return in Milan, they were knocked out.

“At the end, we talked with him and he said, ‘yeah, everybody is right to expect me to make that goal, I didn’t do it, that’s fate,'” said Khalil, shrugging off critics who suggest Kane does not score in “big games”.

“Whenever there are bad moments, after the match, in the mixed zone, Harry walks through and he stops, he is talking, he accepts the situation.”

Bayern were also knocked out of the German Cup by Leverkusen, but in the Bundesliga – bar a brief wobble in March when they lost at home to lowly Bochum – Kompany’s side, with Kane at its heart, have led from the front.

His form during this title run is a continuation of what began in his debut season, where he netted 36 times – only Gerd Muller and Lewandowski have scored more in a single Bundesliga campaign.

“The team clicks well with the players around him,” said Klinsmann. “He plays in a system that he’s getting fed by attacking midfielders.

“He’s extremely important to the Bayern side and he’s done a fantastic job from day one.”

In April, he became the fastest player to hit 60 goals in the competition, doing so in 60 appearances to break Erling Haaland’s record by five games. He also registered 15 assists in that time to average a goal involvement every 72 minutes.

“He fights, he works, he scores an incredible number of goals,” added Bayern’s honorary president Uli Hoeness. “No-one deserves it more than him.”

What next for Kane?

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Harry Kane reached 60 Bundesliga goals in as many games, the fastest player to do so

Khalil believes more trophies will follow for Kane, and Bayern’s focus will soon switch to winning the Fifa Club World Cup in the United States this summer.

“The moment Bayern Munich went out of the Champions League, they started to talk about the Club World Cup,” he said. “It’s another big trophy, an international trophy, and they would make a lot of money.”

That could play a role in Kane’s future and whether Bayern can afford to add widely linked, but expensive, target Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen.

“Everybody wants him to stay,” said Khalil, with Kane’s contract running until 2027.

“The question is, would Florian Wirtz together with Jamal Musiala, the two German youngsters playing side by side, work with a central box striker and how much money do you want to spend on Harry Kane for next season?

“For me, that’s stupid, I definitely see him next year in the Bundesliga. They have to find another way to finance Florian Wirtz.

“I think we will see Harry Kane for at least another year.”

The Italian champions led 2-1 from the first leg but their advantage was wiped out by Harry Kane’s crisp, low strike early in the second half.

That goal sparked Inter into life and just nine minutes later they were in front on the night and in complete control of the tie.

First, Lautaro Martinez lashed home from six yards as the ball dropped kindly for him from a corner.

Three minutes later, another corner and this time defender Benjamin Pavard powered in a header from Hakan Calhanoglu’s delivery.

Bayern did not give up though, and with 14 minutes remaining they drew level thanks to Eric Dier’s looping back-post header from a tight angle.

Vincent Kompany’s side pushed for a third goal to force extra time, and in the fifth of six added minutes the chance came but Thomas Muller could not direct his header past Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer.

Despite the late scare, it is Inter who progress to face Barcelona in a tantalising last-four tie.

Having dominated the first half without making a breakthrough, Bayern fell behind when Maximilian Beier evaded his marker to head through the legs of Jonas Urbig with the visitors’ first effort on target.

Centre-back Waldemar Anton diverted a cross against the underside of his own crossbar as Dortmund rode their luck, but the introduction of Serge Gnabry changed the home side’s fortunes.

The former Arsenal forward’s run led to Raphael Guerreiro finding the equaliser against his old club, and Bayern completed the turnaround four minutes later – Gnabry bending beyond Gregor Kobel after beating two players with ease.

However, eighth-placed Dortmund – who remain six points from the Champions League places – earned a draw, Anton turning home the rebound after Serhou Guirassy’s acrobatic effort was saved into his path.

Despite dropping points, Vincent Kompany’s Bayern remain six points clear with five matches left, as closest rivals Bayer Leverkusen could only draw at home to Union Berlin earlier on Saturday.

While both sides suffered Champions League quarter-final first-leg defeats in midweek, Bayern played at home on Tuesday while Dortmund travelled to Barcelona 24 hours later.

That showed early on, Harry Kane twice thwarted by Kobel in a first half where the hosts seemed to have more energy.

Dortmund’s opener was a smash-and-grab and came as a result of some lackadaisical defending from Kim Min-jae, but it looked like the direct running of Gnabry would swing the result in Bayern’s favour.

With the score at 2-2 both teams had chances to win it, former Brighton midfielder Pascal Gross lobbing just over for Niko Kovac’s side and ex-Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise sidefooting wide under little pressure.

Dortmund have the unenviable task of overturning a 4-0 deficit against Barcelona in their Champions League second leg on Tuesday, with Bayern facing Inter Milan in Italy on Wednesday – trailing 2-1 from the first leg.

The excellent Lautaro Martinez opened the scoring with a sublime outside-of-the-boot finish after good work from Carlos Augusto and Marcus Thuram to set up the chance after a long ball had found Bayern stretched at the back.

Bayern, who hit the post in the first half through Harry Kane, huffed and puffed and finally found the equaliser when substitute Thomas Muller tucked home Konrad Laimer’s cross on 85 minutes.

But it took Inter just three minutes to retake the lead, with Lautaro finding Augusto, whose drilled cross was turned home from close range by Davide Frattesi to give Inter the win.

The result is the first time that Bayern have been beaten at home in the Champions League in four years and leaves Inter in a strong position ahead of the second leg in Milan in a week’s time.

The 35-year-old has played the most games in the history of the club with 743, while he is third on their all-time scorer’s list with 247 goals.

The attacking midfielder, who also plays as a second striker, came through Bayern’s academy to make his senior debut in 2008 and has won two Champions Leagues and 12 Bundesliga titles among 33 trophies in total with the German giants.

“It’s been an incredible journey, shaped by unique experiences, great encounters and unforgettable triumphs,” said Muller, whose contract ends in June.

“I feel immense gratitude and joy that I got to make this career with my beloved club. The special connection to the club and our fantastic fans will always remain.

“What I want as a farewell should be clear: titles we can celebrate together, and moments we’ll remember fondly for a long time. We’re going to give our all in the coming weeks to bring the league title back to Munich.”

Muller, who scored 45 goals for Germany in 131 appearances, won the Golden Boot at the 2010 World Cup and was part of the Germany team that won the 2014 World Cup.

“I could have easily imagined taking on this role [with Bayern] next year as well,” he admitted, while club CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen said: “The most important thing is that we’ve found a mutual solution.

“Thomas Muller is one of the greatest player personalities this club has produced, and therefore it was important to us to find a fair and amicable agreement.”

Muller has turned out 24 times for the Bavarian outfit in the Bundesliga this campaign, scoring once, but has only started on eight occasions.

Bayern Munich said they would mark Muller’s departure with a testimonial and his final opportunity to play competitively will come during the Fifa Club World Cup in the USA, which starts on 15 June.

Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer said: “Thomas Muller is the definition of a Bavarian fairytale career. He ranks among the most outstanding personalities in FC Bayern history.”

Sporting director Christoph Freund said: “Thomas Muller: no tricks, no show, just an incredible amount of instinct and extraordinary reading of the game – a pure footballer. There’ll never be another one like him, that’s for sure, and he internalised FC Bayern from a young age. This decision was extremely hard, as everyone can understand.”

Bayern hold a nine-point lead over Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the Bundesliga and face Inter Milan in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

England captain Harry Kane opened the scoring by sweeping home from Michael Olise’s cross for his 22nd league goal of the campaign.

Elias Saad equalised for St Pauli 10 minutes later, ghosting past the Bayern defence and finishing into the bottom corner from close range.

Olise provided his second assist of the game with a sublime ball over the top, which Sane controlled before firing past St Pauli goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj.

Sane produced a calm finish for his second from Kane’s low cross into the box.

St Pauli provided a late scare deep into stoppage time when Lars Ritzka struck low and hard into the bottom corner from the edge of the area, but it proved to be a mere consolation.

The result means Bayern remain on course for a record-extending 34th German title with defending champions Bayer Leverkusen in second place.

Vincent Kompany’s side suffered significant defensive setbacks during the international break, with Canada captain Alphonso Davies ruled out for the rest of the season due to a cruciate ligament injury sustained against the United States.

Centre-back Dayot Upamecano is also sidelined after sustaining a knee injury on international duty with France, as Les Blues beat Croatia to reach the semi-finals of the Nations League.

Harry Kane and Alphonso Davies were on target in the second leg at BayArena, where Vincent Kompany’s side got the better of their Bundesliga counterparts.

After keeping their opponents at bay during the first half, protecting their 3-0 advantage from the opening leg, Bayern struck within seven minutes of the restart.

Leverkusen failed to deal with Joshua Kimmich’s free-kick, with Patrik Schick helping the delivery into the path of Kane, who slotted into an empty net.

The England captain turned provider as Kompany’s side put the tie beyond any doubt 19 minutes from time.

Receiving the ball on the edge of the box, Kane neatly found Davies, who beat Lukas Hradecky with a well-controlled half-volley.

Jamal Musiala struck the woodwork twice later on, but the job was already well and truly done for Bayern, who are through to a record-extending 23rd Champions League quarter-final.

The Englishman opened the scoring in the all-German clash after just nine minutes as he powered home a wonderful header from Michael Olise’s cross from the right.

Vincent Kompany’s men dominated proceedings, but it wasn’t until the second half when they found their second as Jamal Musiala prodded home from a couple of yards after Matej Kovar spilt a routine cross into the box.

Things shortly went from bad to worse for Xabi Alonso’s men as Nordi Mukiele was shown a second yellow card for scraping his studs down the back of Kingsley Coman’s leg.

Leverkusen’s second-half capitulation continued when substitute Edmond Tapsoba hauled Kane to the ground from a corner, and Michael Oliver pointed to the spot following a check of the pitchside monitor.

It was Bayern’s No. 9 who stepped up, and he found the top-right corner with his spot-kick to take his tally to nine goals in the Champions League this season.

It could have got even worse for Leverkusen in stoppage time as Joao Palhinha grazed the crossbar with an empty net to aim into after being teed up by Musiala, following a fabulous piece of skill to flick the ball over Mario Hermoso’s head inside the area.

Victory sees Bayern get the better of Leverkusen for the first time in seven attempts since Alonso took charge, while Kompany’s men also extended their unbeaten run across all competitions to 10 games.

Before the sides reconvene for the second leg next Tuesday, Bayern will look to extend their eight-point lead over Leverkusen in the Bundesliga as they host Bochum on the weekend while Alonso’s men entertain Werder Bremen.

Defending champions Bayer Leverkusen had reduced the gap to five points with a 2-0 win at Holstein Kiel on Saturday but Vincent Kompany’s side responded in fine fashion.

After a frustrating 45 minutes, Bayern took the lead in the third minute of first-half injury time after excellent link-up play in midfield allowed Leroy Sane to square for Michael Olise – the former Crystal Palace midfielder making no mistake for his seventh league goal of the season.

Sixteen minutes after the break, Bayern doubled their lead as Frankfurt failed to clear a corner and Hiroki Ito reacted fastest to side-foot home from close range.

Jamal Musiala added the third, receiving the ball from Alphonso Davies before dancing his way through the Frankfurt backline and powering a shot past Kevin Trapp.

Substitute Serge Gnabry added a fourth goal in stoppage time, sliding the ball through the legs of goalkeeper Trapp.

Bayern have the chance to move 11 points clear at the top when they make the trip to seventh-placed Stuttgart on Friday night.

Vincent Kompany’s German giants looked to manage the game after winning the first leg 2-1 in Scotland but were stunned just past the hour when Nicolas Kuhn broke the deadlock on the night and levelled the tie on aggregate with an ice-cool finish.

The hosts toiled but avoided extra-time in the fourth-minute of stoppage time when substitute Alphonso Davies bundled home a rebound from close range to clinch a 3-2 success on aggregate.

The visitors had the better of the early chances with Kuhn and Daizen Maeda failing to convert some gilt-edged openings.

Bayern threatened occasionally with Harry Kane hitting the crossbar on the stroke of half time. However, the England striker, who was a doubt prior to kick off, was replaced at the interval and the Bundesliga giants missed him with a lack of presence in the penalty area in the second half.

Former Bayern reserve winger, Kuhn made it a nervy evening for the home crowd with his smart finish and there was clear relief at the full-time whistle as Davies’ goal earned a last-16 tie against Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen.

Next up, Celtic visit sixth-placed Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday lunchtime. Bundesliga leaders Bayern are at home to third-placed Frankfurt on Sunday.

Second-placed Leverkusen stopped Bayern from winning 12 consecutive league titles last season when they lifted the Meisterschale – the championship shield.

But Bayern have returned to the top of the table and are on course to regain the crown as they held off Xabi Alonso’s side to maintain an eight-point lead.

The visitors were by far the weaker side, with Leverkusen enjoying the majority of possession and chances while Bayern failed to register a shot until the 73rd minute.

Harry Kane has scored 21 goals this season but the striker had a quiet evening as England manager Thomas Tuchel watched on in BayArena, heading his only chance over the crossbar.

Leverkusen came agonisingly close in the first half with Jeremie Frimpong and Nathan Tella hitting the bar within five minutes of each other.

Tella proved a threat throughout the game and saw an acrobatic effort drift wide as well as a header saved off the line by Hiroki Ito during the second half.

Amine Adli had a chance to win the game in stoppage time with a close-range strike, but a smart stop from Manuel Neuer ensured Bayern left with a point.

Having already qualified for the Champions League last 16, Leverkusen looked the fresher of the two sides, but lacked a clinical edge.

Vincent Kompany’s Bayern, meanwhile, will have to turn their attention back to the Champions League play-offs as they take a 2-1 lead from the first leg against Celtic into Tuesday’s return fixture.

The 21-year-old Germany forward joined the Bundesliga club from Chelsea’s academy in 2019.

He initially committed to Bayern until 2026 when he signed his first professional contract at the age of 18 in March 2021.

“Bayern is one of the biggest clubs in the world. I took my first steps in professional football here and firmly believe we can achieve something big with this club in the coming years,” he said.

Musiala, who was born in Stuttgart but moved to England as a child, chose to represent Germany over England or Nigeria in 2021 and has since earned 38 caps.

He has scored 58 goals and contributed 31 assists in 193 senior appearances for Bayern, with whom he has won the Champions League and four league titles.

This season Musiala has scored 15 goals and made eight assists in 30 games for his club.

That includes 14 goal involvements in 18 Bundesliga games which have helped Bayern establish a commanding eight-point lead at the top of the table, as they aim to regain the title from second-place Bayer Leverkusen.

Bayern president Herbert Hainer said: “People go to the stadium for players like Jamal Musiala.

“He’s a truly exceptional player. Sometimes you feel like the rules of gravity don’t apply to him.”

Brendan Rodgers’ side thought they had opened the scoring inside the first minute as Nicolas Kuhn cut inside and shot from range on his left foot, beating Manuel Neuer to prompt jubilant scenes at Parkhead, only for an offside call against Adam Idah to see the effort ruled out.

But that was as good as it got for Celtic in a one-sided first half as the chances racked up at the other end, with Harry Kane sending the pick of them wide with a close-range header at the far post.

It looked like the home side had survived their first-half test, only for Michael Olise to open the scoring in style seconds before the interval, controlling a raking pass from Dayot Upamecano and cutting into the box before rifling a ferocious shot past Kasper Schmeichel.

And Kane made it 2-0 shortly after the break, volleying home beautifully from a corner after being left unmarked in the box.

Going two down finally sparked Celtic into life and they enjoyed a number of half-chances in the remainder of the game, with Daizen Maeda shooting narrowly wide from the tightest of angles and Arne Engels adjudged not to have been fouled for a penalty after the referee was called to the screens by the VAR officials.

Celtic did eventually get the goal that their efforts deserved, with Maeda finishing from close range from a corner, but the hosts were unable to find another despite late pressure and will need to win away in Munich in next Tuesday’s second leg if they are to pull off a famous Champions League upset.

On Tuesday Bayern confirmed that Davies, 24, has signed a new five-year deal running until June 2030.

The Canada international’s previous contract was set to expire in June, and he was widely expected to join Real Madrid as a free agent.

Davies has won five Bundesliga titles and a Champions League since joining Bayern from Vancouver Whitecaps in January 2019.

This season he has made 25 appearances in all competitions, scoring one goal and providing three assists.

Bayern currently sit top of the Bundesliga, six points clear of defending champions Bayer Leverkusen.

Vincent Kompany’s side face a two-legged Champions League play-off against Celtic.

Thomas Muller converted a free header on the edge of the six-yard box to set Bayern on their way. The goal, his 56th in the competition, moved the 35-year-old joint-sixth on the all-time Champions League scorers list.

Bayern had a firm grip on proceedings throughout, controlling the game deep inside Slovan Bratislava territory but had to wait until the 63rd minute for Kane to grab their second.

Kane met a deflected Jamal Musiala cross with a powerful header from just a couple of yards out for his sixth goal in the competition this season.

Kingsley Coman added a third for the hosts with a cool side-foot finish after goalkeeper Dominik Takac parried into his path.

Marko Tolic scored the goal of the night, rifling the the ball into the roof of the net, to reduce the deficit in stoppage time.

Bayern climb up to 12th in the standings but results elsewhere denied them a top-eight spot and they will need to come through a play-off tie to reach the last 16.

Slovan Bratislava end the campaign in 35th and without a single point.

The top eight in the league phase progress automatically to the next stage and a win for Bayern would have ensured they were almost there with one game to go.

The game was suspended for several minutes just after kick-off as smoke from flares made visibility on the pitch difficult.

Once it got back under way, however, Bayern looked lethargic and fell behind midway through the first half when Santiago Gimenez drove into the box before firing past Manuel Neuer.

Feyenoord keeper Justin Bijlow produced a great close-range save to deny Harry Kane a equaliser and it was crucial as the hosts added a second on the stroke of half time.

Calvin Stengs was fouled inside the box and Gimenez stepped up to confidently score the penalty.

The excellent Bijlow made a fingertip save to deny Jamal Musiala in the second half as Bayern pushed to get back into the game, but Feyenoord made sure of victory with a late third as Ayase Ueda slotted in.

The result means Bayern are 15th in the standings, one point outside the top eight with Slovan Bratislava the visitors in their final league phase game next Wednesday.

The win for Feyenoord boosted their own chances of finishing in the top eight as the Dutch side, who travel to Lille next Wednesday, are up to 11th place but level on 13 points with eighth-placed Leverkusen.

The Blues, who first expressed an interest in Tel in the summer, have told Bayern they are willing to make an offer for the 19-year-old should he become available.

However, they have not offered Nkunku in a swap deal despite knowing that Bayern have had a longstanding interest in the 27-year-old France international, who joined Chelsea from German club RB Leipzig for £50m in 2023.

It isn’t known how likely Chelsea’s approach is to succeed given Tel is under contract until 2029 at the Allianz Arena – or whether the winger would try to force through a move to Stamford Bridge.

He has started just two Bundesliga games under new manager Vincent Kompany, who last summer left his role as Burnley boss to take over at Bayern.

Chelsea are also interested in signing Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi but could wait until the summer when the England international will have just one year left on his current deal.

Blues manager Enzo Maresca has openly admitted to admiring Guehi’s talents while also saying Ben Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka and Cesare Casadei can leave the club this month.

Bayern went into Saturday’s contest at Mewa Arena with an unbeaten record in the league under Vincent Kompany, but that streak came to a halt.

South Korea international Lee struck four minutes before the break after pouncing on a defensive blunder by the lacklustre visitors.

Lee then doubled the hosts’ lead on the hour, turning beautifully in the box to finish a superb attacking move that left the Bayern defence frozen to the spot.

Bayern, missing eight players to injury including top scorer Harry Kane, pulled back a goal with Leroy Sane in the 87th minute.

They remain in top spot on 33 points, four ahead of Bayer Leverkusen, who were 2-0 winners at Augsburg.

Jamie Gittens’ superb solo effort in the first half looked to condemn Vincent Kompany’s side to their first Bundesliga defeat of the season, only for Jamal Musiala to equalise with five minutes left.

What had been a quiet first half in ‘Der Klassiker’ soon sparked into life when Nico Schlotterbeck’s pass down the left found Gittens on the halfway line.

The England Under-21 international turned past Bayern right-back Konrad Laimer and drove into the penalty area before his fizzed left-footed strike was too hard for Bayern’s Manuel Neuer to stop.

In the 27th minute, Gittens became the second Englishman to score in this fixture after Kane, who netted a hat-trick against Dortmund last season.

Bayern’s first half was made worse six minutes later when Bundesliga top scorer and England captain Kane was forced off before half-time. He signalled to be replaced and was moving gingerly, but not as a result of a tackle.

The visitors failed to really test Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel until the second period.

Thomas Muller, who replaced Kane, should have levelled shortly after the restart when teed up at the end of Musiala’s mazy run, but could not beat the outstretched hand of Kobel.

Musiala, who had gone close himself to levelling from distance, did eventually level when heading in a cross from substitute Michael Olise.

The Germany midfielder’s sixth goal in 10 Bundesliga fixtures this term kept Bayern’s unbeaten domestic record intact.

A draw kept them top, seven points clear of Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen. Frankfurt will cut that lead to four points, though, should they win at Heidenheim on Sunday.

A point for Dortmund moved them up to fifth place, above Freiburg on goal difference.

Kim Min-jae’s 38th-minute header was the difference at the Allianz Arena, where PSG were also reduced to 10 men after Ousmane Dembele saw a second yellow for a late challenge.

Bayer Leverkusen responded superbly to their 4-0 drubbing at Anfield by swatting RB Salzburg aside 5-0 at the BayArena, with two goals from Florian Wirtz sandwiching Alex Grimaldo’s 11th-minute effort.

Patrik Schick added number four just after the hour with a tap-in, and Aleix Garcia got in on the act not long after.

Atalanta beat Young Boys 6-1 in Switzerland, and Gian Piero Gasperini’s side were 4-1 up at the interval, thanks to a double from Mateo Retegui and strikes from Charles de Ketelaere and Sead Kolasinac.

Silvere Ganvoula had equalised for the hosts, but three goals in 11 minutes had the Italian side in full control in Bern. De Ketelaere had a brace of his own on 56 minutes, aided by a deflection. Substitute Lazar Samardzic completed the scoring in the final minute.

Castello Lukeba’s own goal was the difference in a tight affair at San Siro, where Inter Milan scraped past RB Leipzig.

Robert Lewandowski notched his 100th Champions League goal during Barcelona’s 3-0 win over Brest at the Estadi Olimpic Luis Companys, where Dani Olmo was on hand to score the second, and Lewandowski added his second of the game in stoppage time.

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal picked up a superb 5-1 win in Lisbon over Sporting, while Manchester City’s winless run continued as they threw away a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord at the Etihad Stadium.

Julian Alvarez and Angel Correa were each two-goal heroes as Atletico Madrid ran riot against Sparta Prague, tallying a 6-0 win.

Atleti, who had suffered a two-game blip early in their league phase campaign with heavy defeats to Benfica and Lille, recovered with an impressive 2-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes on matchday four, and they followed that up in style with a six-goal flurry in the Czech capital.

Alvarez had his first on the quarter-hour with a sumptuous free kick, and Marcos Llorente, playing at right-back, doubled Diego Simeone’s side’s tally two minutes shy of the interval.

Alvarez had his second and Atleti’s third on 59 minutes, capping off a brilliant run with an exquisite finish after a lovely flick from substitute Antoine Griezmann, who himself added the fourth with a drilled effort into the corner.

Angel Correa completed the rout with a quick-fire double himself on 85 and 89 minutes.

Elsewhere, AC Milan secured a 3-2 victory over 10-man Slovan Bratislava at the Stadion Tehelne Pole.

Paulo Fonseca’s side made it three wins on the bounce on the continent, as they followed up their shock 3-1 victory over holders Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu with another three points that takes them up to ninth in the table.

Christian Pulisic, the former Chelsea attacking midfielder, opened the scoring on 21 minutes, sliding past Dominik Takac, but the Slovakian side were level within three minutes, as Tigran Barseghyan punished a cheap Milan giveaway of possession with a delicate chip over the onrushing Mike Maignan.

Rafael Leao came off the bench at half-time and put the visitors back in front on 68 minutes as the Italian side cut the hosts apart, and Tammy Abraham made it three shortly after, profiting from a gift of a backpass by David Strelec.

Nino Marcelli’s 88th-minute goal set up a grand-stand finish in the Slovakian capital, but any hope they had of a dramatic equaliser was dashed when Marko Tolic saw red for two yellows in the space of a minute, firstly a reckless foul, before being dismissed for dissent.