Harry Kane struck twice from the penalty spot as Bayern Munich eased past Werder Bremen 3-0 on Friday, stretching their Bundesliga lead to nine points over Bayer Leverkusen.
The first half saw few chances, but Kane signalled his intent just 30 seconds after the break, rattling the crossbar with a long-range effort.
His persistence paid off when he won and converted a penalty after his header struck Anthony Young’s outstretched arm.
Leroy Sane doubled Bayern’s lead in the 82nd minute with a close-range finish from Konrad Laimer’s cross before Kane sealed the victory in stoppage time with another spot-kick—his 29th consecutive penalty conversion for club and country.
The England captain now boasts 21 goals in 19 league games for Bayern, nine of which have come from the penalty spot.
Despite his prolific form, Kane, 31, believes he has room for improvement. “I had a couple of other chances that could’ve gone my way if I was a bit more ruthless,” he told DAZN. “There’s still room for improvement, with the left foot especially.”
Bayern boss Vincent Kompany praised Kane’s dedication, saying: “I see everything he does, not just in games but in training. It’s not luck; he works very, very hard on it.”
Bayer Leverkusen, who face Wolfsburg on Saturday, can cut Bayern’s lead back to six points with a win. The two sides will then meet in a highly anticipated showdown next week, sandwiched between Bayern’s Champions League knockout tie against Celtic.
“Two big away games next week; it’s going to be tough,” Kane said. “But for us, it’s about competing against ourselves, pushing our level, and seeing how far we can take it.”
Bremen, missing several key players through suspensions and injuries, battled hard but remained eighth in the table, just one point off the European qualification spots.
