Harry Kane Shines in Bayern’s Dominant Victory, While British Talents Make Their Mark Abroad

Harry Kane’s scoring ability is becoming a hallmark of Bayern Munich’s matches this season. He has netted goals in 12 of their 16 Bundesliga matches and 19 out of 26 across all competitions.

Upon returning from their winter break, Bayern faced a struggling Wolfsburg side at home, which featured Kane’s close friend and former Tottenham teammate, Christian Eriksen. Despite a level score of 1-1 in the first half, Bayern went on to secure an emphatic 8-1 victory at the Allianz Arena, marking Wolfsburg’s heaviest defeat in history.

While the German media praised Luis Diaz and Michael Olise as the standout performers, Kane’s contributions were also significant. With the score at 4-1 and an opportunity to score himself, he demonstrated selflessness by assisting Raphael Guerreiro for a simple tap-in. Just a minute later, Kane found the net himself, scoring after a powerful shot that struck both the post and crossbar. This goal made him the first player since Timo Konietzka in the 1960s to score 20 goals in each of their first three Bundesliga seasons.

After the match, a typically gracious Kane remarked, “It was great. I thought in moments we controlled it really well. We were disappointed to concede but we recovered well and started controlling the momentum. In the second half, we came out with more energy and intensity. We were ruthless in our attacks to score as many goals as we did and extending our lead to 11 points was important.”

In another significant match, Barcelona defended their title in the Supercopa de España final against Real Madrid, winning 3-2 in an action-packed encounter held in Saudi Arabia. The game featured a flurry of goals, with Raphinha and Vinicius Jr. exchanging strikes before Robert Lewandowski and Gonzalo Garcia added to the scoreline. Raphinha’s second goal in the second half ultimately sealed the victory for Barcelona, despite Frenkie de Jong receiving a late red card.

From a British perspective, Marcus Rashford and Jude Bellingham played less prominent roles in this high-stakes match. Rashford, who had been struggling for game time, contributed in a brief appearance, while Bellingham played the entire match but failed to make a significant impact, as noted by the Spanish press. MARCA highlighted Bellingham’s defensive efforts, stating that his focus on defense limited his creativity in attack.

In Serie A, Scott McTominay was integral to Napoli’s performance in a 2-2 draw against league leaders Inter Milan. After Inter took the lead through Federico Dimarco, McTominay equalized shortly thereafter. Despite Inter’s penalty goal from Hakan Calhanoglu, McTominay struck again in the final minutes, ensuring Napoli left with a hard-fought point.

McTominay expressed pride in his team despite being shorthanded due to injuries, stating, “Everyone gave every single drop of sweat; we won’t give an inch.”

Meanwhile, Jobe Bellingham’s brother, Carney Chukwuemeka, also made headlines in the Bundesliga. BVB faced Eintracht Frankfurt in a thrilling match that ended in a dramatic 3-3 tie. Chukwuemeka’s late goal salvaged a point for Dortmund, showcasing his potential as a rising star.

In the Saudi Pro League, Ivan Toney continued his scoring streak for Al-Ahli, netting a decisive goal in their 1-0 victory over Al-Akhdoud, bringing his season total to nine goals.

Lastly, Shola Shoretire, a former Manchester United player now with PEC Zwolle, scored in a 1-1 draw against Twente, reminding fans of his potential as he progresses in his career.