DARMSTADT: Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane bagged a record-breaking 31st league goal and Jamal Musiala added two more in the side’s 5-2 demolition of hosts Darmstadt 98 on Saturday in the Bundesliga.

Kane put Bayern 2-1 up in first-half stoppage time to take his league tally to 31, more than any player has scored in their first Bundesliga season.

It is also a personal league best for the England captain — the Bundesliga’s most expensive transfer at 100 million euros — who scored between Musiala’s two goals.

But he was taken off injured in the 81st after sliding into the post, getting tangled in the sidenetting and twisting his ankle.

“He stumbled and fell in the net and twisted his ankle,” Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel said. “He is cooling it now with ice. There is no diagnosis yet. We have to wait and see and hope it is just a scary moment.”

England, preparing for Euro 2024 in Germany in June, play Brazil on March 23 and Belgium three days later.

“Overall we are happy with a deserved win. We kept creating chances and we deserved the goals we scored,” Tuchel said.

The win lifts Bayern to 60 points in second place, with Leverkusen, on 67. VfB Stuttgart are third on 56 following a 3-0 away win at Hoffenheim.

The visitors had the upper hand from the start but it was Darmstadt who struck first, with Tim Skarke slotting in to polish off a quick break that caught Bayern off guard in the 28th minute.

They did not have to wait long for an equaliser after teenager Aleksandar Pavlovic charged into the box and found Kane, who passed to Musiala to finish the move in the 36th.

Kane then completed their comeback in stoppage time with a diving header but Bayern almost conceded another themselves when Darmstadt’s Oscar Vilhelmsson hit the crossbar on the stroke of halftime.

Germany international Musiala, in superb form, put the game to bed in the 64th minute with a stunning solo run for his 10th league goal but they were not yet done.

Substitute Serge Gnabry and Mathys Tel both got onto the scoresheet before Vilhelmsson bagged another goal for Darmstadt, who also hit the woodwork once more late in the game.

In the German capital, Union Berlin beat Werder Bremen 2-1 thanks to a commanding performance from US midfielder Brenden Aaronson, on loan from Leeds.

Aaronson, who was surprisingly left out of the US squad this week, had a hand in two goals in three second-half minutes to give Union the upper hand.

The 23-year-old laid on Yorbe Vertessen’s 50th-minute goal, before creating and scoring one of his own with some superb dribbling shortly after.

Mitchell Weiser pulled one back for the visitors but Union held on, recording their fifth win in seven home matches under coach Nenad Bjelica.

Meanwhile, Augsburg came from a goal down to beat a 10-man VfL Wolfsburg 3-1 away from home, their fourth-straight league win taking them to seventh on the table.

Wolfsburg’s Patrick Wimmer scored after just nine minutes but was sent from the field in tears just before half-time for a last-man foul, with Augsburg’s Arne Maier scoring from the ensuing free-kick. Kristijan Jakic scored a second-half double to seal the win.

Elsewhere, Mainz won 2-0 at home against Bochum to keep their hopes of avoiding relegation alive. Mainz moved past Cologne, into 16th, the relegation playoff spot

Promoted Heidenheim drew 1-1 at home with Borussia Moenchengladbach to collect another valuable point and go 10 clear of the relegation spots in their first season in the top division.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2024