FC Koln 0-1 Bayern Munich: Harry Kane nets 18th goal of Bundesliga season as Thomas Tuchel’s side edge to narrow win

Harry Kane wrote himself into the history books as Bayern Munich returned to the top of the Bundesliga with a 1-0 win over FC Koln.

The England captain, with his goal, registered his 18th of the campaign in just 12 league games, and already becomes the Englishman to score the most goals in a single Bundesliga season, overtaking the 17-goal mark set jointly by Jadon Sancho and Kevin Keegan.

The former Tottenham Hotspur striker was on hand to tap home in the 20th minute of this encounter, breaking the deadlock in a game that Bayern were growing increasingly in control of.

A sweeping counter-attack ensued after Konrad Laimer won the ball deep in Bayern territory, and a forward pass was the full-back’s first thought, as he found Kingsley Coman in centre-field. The Frenchman moved the ball left, out to Leroy Sane, who had drifted infield off his left flank. The German drove at the Koln defence, and with the white shirts backpedalling, he utilised the supporting run of Eric Choupo-Moting, whose initial effort was well blocked, but Kane was inevitably on hand to steer home the rebound and put Bayern in the ascendancy.

Thomas Tuchel’s visitors had threatened prior to the goal, and went close through first Choupo-Moting, who scuffed narrowly wide of the far post on five minutes, and a sliding clearance from the recovering Timo Hubers kissed the post following a dangerous low cross from Sane off the left.

On eight minutes, Sane, who had broken in behind the home defence, who had stepped up too high, scampered after a curling Kane through ball over the top. Sane hesitated as he was faced up by the onrushing Marvin Schwabe, who closed the angle well and saved the winger’s attempted dink.

Choupo-Moting was foiled once more by Schwabe two minutes after Kane had put the Rekordmeister in front, and the home shot-stopper was called into action four minutes from half-time as he got down well to a powerful Coman half-volley from a corner that Steffen Baumgart’s side had failed to properly clear.

The closest Koln came was from the boot of Florian Kainz, their talismanic captain, whose delicious inswinger on 32 minutes was begging to be rifled home at the far post by the onrushing Rasmus Carstensen, but the wing-back couldn’t make the necessary contact as he desperately threw himself at the cross.

Bayern were sloppy in possession in the second half, with their chances of a second goal being few and far between. They could afford their complacency though, with Koln unable to supercharge their home support, and their toothlessness in the final third was a clear explanation for their current league predicament, as this result leaves them bringing up the rear of the Bundesliga.

Coman was at the forefront of Bayern’s chase for a second goal, as he first had a flicked header from a corner rattle the crossbar, before he let off a venomous, curling dipper that fizzed wide of Schwabe’s far post with eight minutes to go.

The scoreline, and perhaps the result, might seem unconvincing, but Bayern are back on top of the Bundesliga, and that is all that will matter to them.

Harry Kane will take the headlines with his winning goal, but that, along with the three points, are merely an accessory to his early feats on foreign soil.

The Englishman, since his arrival in Germany, has netted 18 times in just 12 league games, and looks to be on target to break the record set by former Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski, with the Pole hitting 41 goals in the 2020/2021 campaign.

The record that Kane has broken sees him overtake the likes of Sancho and Keegan, English players who each scored their fair share of goals at Germany’s top table, but no-one has done it quite like Kane.

Dynamic, direct, devastating.

The one attribute always associated with the winger is his electric pace, and against a side who naively played a high line in an attempt to go toe-to-toe with their opponents, that was always going to be a problem for Koln.

Switching from left to right flank often with Coman, Sane terrorised both wide centre-backs and wing-backs with his play, and it was his vision and awareness that brought about the Bayern goal, seeing the run of Choupo-Moting outside him to create the initial shooting chance.

Koln: Schwabe 7, Carstensen 6, Hubers 6, Kilian 6, Chabot 6, Ljubicic 6, Martel 6, Thielmann 6, Kainz 6, Maina 5, Selke 6. Subs: Tigges 6, Alidou 6, Paqarada 6, Huseinbasic 6, Waldschmidt 6.

Bayern: Neuer 6, Laimer 7, Upamecano 6, Kim 7, Mazraoui 7, Kimmich 7, Goretzka 7, Sane 8, C-Moting 6, Coman 7, Kane 7.

5′: CLOSE! It squirms wide of the target from Choupo-Moting as Coman gets to the byline and cuts one back across. The Cameroonian sorts his feet out and scuffs an effort wide of the mark.

8′: GOOD SAVE! Koln’s defence just evaporates as Sane is onside and clean through on goal following a delicately lofted through ball from Kane tight to the left touchline. He hesitates as Schwabe rushes out to close the angle, but the home ‘keeper refuses to be seated as the winger looks to lob one over him, but Schwabe halts him in his tracks, and the score remains unblemished.

20′: GOAL! Bayern are ahead, and guess who? Harry Kane creates history as he scores more goals in a single Bundesliga season than any other Englishman in history as he hits number 18. Laimer wins the ball deep in his own half, but his first thought is to play it forward. He finds Coman, and it’s worked quickly leftwards towards Sane, who spots the run of Choupo-Moting outside him. He’s thwarted, but the follow-up is tapped home by the inevitable Kane. 1-0.

78′:OFF THE BAR! Coman flicks on the corner at the near post, and is denied by a combination of Schwabe and the crossbar!

82′: CLOSE! Bayern look hungry for a second now as Coman, off the left this time, darts inside and lets a curler rip, but it dips wide of the far post.