In his debut Bundesliga season, Harry Kane achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first player to score four hat-tricks. His outstanding performance helped Bayern Munich narrow Bayer Leverkusen’s lead to just seven points.
As Leverkusen prepared to face Wolfsburg on Sunday, Bayern aimed to maintain pressure on the league leaders and responded with a commanding victory against relegation-threatened Mainz.
England’s captain, Harry Kane, aged 30, increased his Bundesliga goal tally to 30 in 25 games, also delivering a superb assist for Jamal Musiala.
Bayern is pursuing a record 12th consecutive title, but their grip on the Bundesliga faces a significant challenge from Xabi Alonso’s impressive Leverkusen.
Manager Thomas Tuchel emphasized that despite domestic challenges, Bayern remains determined, especially after advancing to the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday.
Acknowledging the reality of the situation, Tuchel assured that Bayern would persist in making statements of intent.
Their clinical display against Mainz served as a testament to this commitment.
Kane opened the scoring, with Leon Goretzka swiftly doubling the lead after Kane’s shot hit the post from Joshua Kimmich’s quick free-kick.
Though Mainz narrowed the gap through Nadiem Amiri, Kane struck again before halftime with a composed finish.
Mainz’s aspirations dwindled further in the second half when Thomas Muller replicated Bayern’s opening goal to score the fourth.
Just as with Kane’s first goal, Musiala orchestrated the play with a precise low cross from the left, allowing the experienced German international Muller to calmly slot the ball home.
Despite Mainz’s attempts to apply pressure and narrow the deficit, they faced further punishment.
Kane initiated a swift counterattack and delivered an exquisite cross-field pass to Musiala, who confidently dispatched it. Serge Gnabry then added a daring flicked finish for Bayern’s sixth goal.
Kane, who transferred for nearly £90m from Tottenham last summer, completed his hat-trick, marking his 40th goal for club and country this season. Goretzka sealed the victory with an eighth goal in injury time.