KANE EDGES TOWARD GOAL RECORD AS BAYERN DEFEAT UNION

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By: Balogun Ibrahim

Serge Gnabry struck twice while Harry Kane moved closer to the Bundesliga single-season scoring record as Bayern Munich cruised to a 4-0 home win over Union Berlin on Saturday.

Michael Olise was also on target as the league leaders extended their advantage to 12 points. Borussia Dortmund have the chance to cut the gap back to nine with a victory over Hamburg in Saturday’s late fixture.

Kane’s second-half strike lifted him to 31 goals for the season — matching Union’s entire tally — and leaving him 10 shy of Robert Lewandowski’s 2020-21 record with seven matches remaining.

Bayern have now scored 97 goals this season, just four shy of the club’s all-time Bundesliga record set in 1971–72, when Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller led the charge.

Head coach Vincent Kompany rotated his squad with five changes from the side that thrashed Atalanta midweek to book a Champions League quarter-final showdown with Real Madrid, but Harry Kane retained his place in attack.

Union Berlin, still winless in 14 meetings with Bayern, held firm until the 41st minute. Michael Olise broke the deadlock after latching onto a lofted pass from Leon Goretzka and curling a superb finish into the top corner.

Serge Gnabry doubled the lead on the stroke of half-time, converting from close range after a rebound fell kindly at the far post.

Kane added a third shortly after the restart, spinning away from his marker before curling home to take his tally to 48 goals in 40 appearances across all competitions this season.

Gnabry grabbed his second of the match in the 67th minute, firing in a volley to cap another dominant Bayern display.

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Elsewhere, Bayer Leverkusen’s push for a top-four finish suffered a setback as they were held to a 3-3 draw by bottom-placed Heidenheim, despite leading 2-0 at the break and 3-2 with just five minutes left.

The result leaves Leverkusen in sixth place, four points adrift of RB Leipzig, Stuttgart and Hoffenheim, who are all tied on 50 points, with Stuttgart still holding a game in hand.

Looking to respond to their Champions League exit at Arsenal on Tuesday, Leverkusen appeared set for a comfortable win after first-half strikes from Malik Tillmann and Patrik Schick.

However, Heidenheim rallied, drawing level through a goal from Hennes Behrens and a penalty converted by Marvin Pieringer. Schick restored Leverkusen’s advantage with a header, but Pieringer struck again from a corner in the 85th minute to earn the hosts a point.

Elsewhere, Justin Njinmah netted the decisive goal as Werder Bremen secured a 1-0 victory at Wolfsburg, deepening their opponents’ relegation concerns.

Second from bottom and with just one win this calendar year, 2009 champions Wolfsburg could find themselves six points from safety if St Pauli overcome Freiburg on Sunday.

Elsewhere, Rhine derby rivals Cologne and Borussia Mönchengladbach shared the spoils in an entertaining 3-3 draw.