European football: Harry Kane double restores Bayern Munich’s six-point Bundesliga lead | European club football

by Marcelo Moreira

Harry Kane scored twice in the first half as Bayern Munich cruised to a 3-0 win at Werder Bremenrestoring their six-point lead in the Bundesliga. Borussia Dortmund’s 4-0 win over Mainz on Friday put them within three points of the league leaders but Bayern responded.

Bayern were in control from start to finish in Bremen, with Leon Goretzka joining the England captain on the scoresheet in the 70th minute. Kane now has 26 goals in 22 Bundesliga games this season and 41 in all competitions, 13 of those from the penalty spot.

Bayern lined up without the suspended Michael Olise for the first time in 89 matches in all competitions since the France winger arrived from Crystal Palace in 2024. Bremen kept the league leaders at bay in the opening stages but Kane gave Bayern the lead after 22 minutes, converting a penalty after the video assistant referee pointed out Lennart Karl had been felled in the box.

Bayern doubled their lead three minutes later when Kane snuck a low shot in off the right post from the edge of the box. The Bayern captain, Manuel Neuer, was substituted at half-time because of a recurrence of a calf injury. Bremen’s Marco Gruell hit the post shortly after the break but Bayern put the game to bed when Goretzka swept home with 20 minutes remaining.

Hoffenheim continued their turnaround this season, beating Freiburg 3-0 at home with goals from Fisnik Asllani, Ozan Kabak and Valentin Gendrey as they tightened their grip on third spot. Finishing just one place above the relegation playoff zone last season, Hoffenheim stayed on course for Champions League football.

Bayer Leverkusen beat St Pauli 4-0 at home, their fifth win in their past six games, taking the 2023-24 title winners to fourth spot. Jarell Quansah, the former Liverpool centre-back, headed Leverkusen in front with 13 minutes gone and Patrik Schick struck just a minute later. Edmond Tapsoba and Ernest Poku added second-half goals for Leverkusen, who play Olympiakos in the Champions League playoffs on Wednesday.

Eintracht Frankfurt cruised to a 3-0 home victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach to hand Albert Riera a first win since taking over as coach. Nathaniel Brown, Ayoube Amaimouni and Ansgar Knauff scored for Frankfurt, who overtook Freiburg into seventh. Elsewhere, Hamburg came from a goal down to beat Union Berlin 3-2 at home and leapfrog their opponents into ninth.

Ederson and Nicola Zalewski scored as Atalanta beat Lazio 2-0 in Serie A to strengthen their claim for a place in European football next season. The Brazil midfielder and the Poland winger netted either side of the break in Rome as they moved a point clear of Como in the Conference League qualifying spot. Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio are now nine points off the pace in the race to feature in continental competition.

As’s hopes of securing Champions League qualification were dealt a blow as they lost 2-1 at home to Fiorentinawho boosted their survival bid. Nicolò Fagioli opened the scoring from close range in the 26th minute and Moise Kean doubled Fiorentina’s lead before half-time, converting from the penalty spot. Como pulled one back when Fabiano Parisi fired into his own net in the 77th minute, before Álvaro Morata was sent off for the hosts in the 89th minute.

Moise Kean (right) celebrates after scoring a penalty for Fiorentina at Como. Photograph: Roberto Bregani/EPA

In France, Marseille let a two-goal lead slip as Strasbourg rescued a 2-2 draw at the Vélodrome. Marseille, who parted company with Roberto De Zerbi this week, led through goals from Mason Greenwood and Amine Gouiri, but Sebastian Nanasi pulled one back for Gary O’Neil’s side before Joaquin Panichelli netted a 97th-minute penalty.

On Friday evening, the Ligue 1 leaders, Paris Saint-Germainsuffered their third defeat of the campaign as they went down 3-1 to a Rennes side who ended a four-game losing streak. Mousa Tamari and Esteban Lepaul gave Rennes a 2-0 lead before Ousmane Dembélé pulled one back for PSG, who pushed for an equaliser but were caught out as Breel Embolo added a third. The victory came at the end of a turbulent week for Rennes, who sacked Habib Beye on Monday, with the reserve-team coach, Sébastien Tambouret, placed in temporary charge.

“We started the game badly, but Rennes played a very good game,” Dembélé told Ligue 1+. “We have to put more desire. We have to play for Paris Saint-Germain to win matches because if we play alone on the pitch it’s not going to work, we’re not going to win the titles we want.”

This story will be updated later on Saturday

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