Harry Kane scored twice as Bayern Munich defeated Werder Bremen on Friday, becoming the fastest player this century to reach 100 goals for a club in Europe’s top five leagues.
The England captain won a penalty on the stroke of half-time and converted it before firing home from close range in the 65th minute, reaching the century mark in just 104 games. The previous record of 105 games was set by Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid in 2011 and later matched by Manchester City striker Erling Haaland last year.
Former Liverpool winger Luis Diaz opened the scoring when he deflected a Jonathan Tah flick from a corner. Konrad Laimer added a late fourth as Bayern preserved their unbeaten start to the season.
Kane continues record-breaking form
Kane broke two additional records in Bayern’s 4-1 victory against Hoffenheim last weekend, where he scored a hat-trick. He reached 70 Bundesliga goals in only his 67th game, faster than anyone in the league’s history. The 32-year-old also holds the records for the most goals in 50 Bundesliga games (54) and the fewest games needed to reach 50 goals (43 matches).
On Friday, Kane became the first Bundesliga player to convert his first 18 penalties and to score 18 consecutive spot-kicks. He was also the first player to finish as top scorer in both his first two seasons and the only player to score 25 or more goals in each of his first two campaigns.
Strong start to the season
Kane started this season with 15 goals in eight games across all competitions, including two hat-tricks in five Bundesliga matches. Bayern leads the league table with a 100% record. He holds the record as the highest-scoring Englishman in Champions League history with 42 goals and has scored against all 20 Bundesliga teams he has faced. Only Miroslav Klose has scored against the same number of opponents (28).
Kane joined Bayern from Tottenham Hotspur in a £100m transfer in 2023 after scoring 280 goals in 435 games for the Premier League club. He has two years remaining on his four-year contract. Recently, media linked him with a return to Spurs or a move to Manchester United. Kane dismissed speculation, saying: “No, not at the moment. I’m really happy here. I have two years left on my contract. I’m enjoying every moment with the team and the coach, and hopefully we continue to be successful.”
Admiration for Kane grows in Germany
Kane moved to Germany the same summer Jude Bellingham left Borussia Dortmund for Real Madrid. Bellingham’s contribution to Real Madrid’s La Liga and Champions League double in 2023-24 earned widespread praise, but Kane has remained consistent. Pat Nevin commented during radio coverage of Bayern’s 3-1 Champions League win over Chelsea that Kane has made an even bigger impact at Bayern, often carrying the team.
German football expert Raphael Honigstein praised Kane’s unique style and humility. He said fans consider him the best striker in Bayern history, including Robert Lewandowski. Kane’s selflessness and willingness to defend in his own box have captured public imagination. Honigstein added, “People are just in awe of what he does. The one player everyone talks about in Germany is Harry Kane.”
Kane scored either side of half-time as Bayern beat Chelsea. Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink noted Kane’s sharpness and constant danger, saying he brings the ball into the final third despite not being the quickest. Hasselbaink added that Kane sometimes carries Bayern, which is the pressure Bayern expected him to handle.
Bayern manager Vincent Kompany highlighted Kane’s work off the ball. He praised Kane’s movement, pressing, and energy to create chances, emphasizing that his success comes from both talent and hard work.
