Berlin, March 17: Harry Kane has never scored so many league goals.
The England captain claimed his 31st Bundesliga goal on Saturday to help Bayern Munich to a 5-2 win at last-place Darmstadt.
Kane headed in Joshua Kimmich’s cross before the break to set the record for goals in a debut Bundesliga season. Uwe Seeler scored 30 goals for Hamburg in the inaugural Bundesliga in 1963-64. Kane also eclipsed his previous best mark of 30 league goals in a season achieved with Tottenham in the Premier League in 2018 and again last season.
But Kane’s afternoon ended in pain with an ankle injury sustained late in the game after he crashed into the post trying to reach the ball. It means his participation in England’s upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Belgium is in doubt.
Including the Champions League, where Bayern next faces Kane’s familiar foe Arsenal, the 30-year-old forward has 37 goals in 36 appearances for Bayern this season. There are still eight rounds of the Bundesliga remaining for him to chase Robert Lewandowski’s record of 41 goals in a single season.
Bayern started in control Saturday but was stunned when Darmstadt’s Mathias Honsak set up Tim Skarke to score in the 28th.
Kane inadvertently set up Jamal Musiala to equalise eight minutes later. The 19-year-old Aleksandar Pavlovic made a great run past a host of defenders and cut the ball back for Kane, whose heavy touch set up Musiala to sweep the ball in.
Kane scored in first-half stoppage time, though there was still time before the break for Oscar Vilhelmsson to strike the crossbar at the other end.
Musiala grabbed his second goal and Serge Gnabry added Bayern’s fourth in the second half before Kane went off late after his collision with the post.
Pavlovic, who got his first Germany call-up on Friday, had gone off earlier after a clash of heads. He watched the rest of the match with a swollen left eye.
Mathys Tel scored Bayern’s fifth goal in stoppage time. It ensured Bayern scored 13 goals against Darmstadt in their two league matches this season. Bayern won their previous encounter 8-0.
Vilhelmsson replied for some Darmstadt consolation. But the promoted team remains last, now six points behind Mainz, which defeated Bochum 2-0 in their relegation fight. Mainz occupies the relegation playoff place, six points behind Bochum in safety.
Bayern’s win cut the gap behind Bayer Leverkusen to seven points. The league leader visits Freiburg on Sunday as it aims to take another step to what would be its first Bundesliga title.
STUTTGART SOARING
Serhou Guirassy scored again as Stuttgart consolidated its hold on third place with a comfortable 3-0 win at Hoffenheim.
Guirassy took his tally to 22 goals in 20 league appearances for Stuttgart.
Since losing at Leverkusen, Stuttgart has won five of six games, dropping points only in a draw against Cologne.
The Sebastian Hoeneß-coached team has 56 points, seven more than fourth-place Leipzig, though Borussia Dortmund can restore the six-point gap with a win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.
Also Saturday, American midfielder Brenden Aaronson scored to help Union Berlin defeat Werder Bremen 2-1, Augsburg defeated 10-man Wolfsburg 3-1 away, and Borussia Mönchengladbach drew at Heidenheim 1-1. (AP)
