Kane and Davies Seal Dominant Bayern Munich Victory Over Leverkusen
Bayern Munich Return to Form, With Kane and Davies Sealing Dominant Win Over Leverkusen
Normal service has been resumed in Germany. And perhaps in the Champions League as well, with Bayern Munich advancing to the quarter-finals for a sixth consecutive year. If Inter Milan are subjected to the same ruthless treatment that Bayer Leverkusen endured, Bayern’s hopes of lifting the trophy on home soil in May will only grow stronger.
While this match may not have been as calm as Harry Kane’s leisurely finish for the opener, it was almost as effortless. Bayern never looked like losing even a fraction of the three-goal lead they had built in the first leg, with the England captain once again making his mark on the scoresheet—an increasingly familiar luxury.
There’s something different about this Bayern team this season, and Kane proved that once again, setting up Alphonso Davies for a powerful second goal. It’s clear now that his efforts are part of a cohesive, well-oiled machine. Vincent Kompany’s team is firing on all cylinders, and any notions that this tie might signal a shift in the Bundesliga’s power dynamics have now been proven wrong.
Could Xabi Alonso be regretting not stepping down after last year’s achievements? Perhaps that’s an exaggeration, but after having masterminded Bayer Leverkusen’s stunning comeback over Bayern last season, the task now seems much tougher. The momentum they once enjoyed seems to have evaporated. While it’s worth noting that Leverkusen outplayed Bayern in the league just a month ago, they couldn’t find the net then either, and now sit eight points behind in the Bundesliga. In the space of a week, the gulf between these two sides has become painfully obvious.
Leverkusen could point to the absence of Florian Wirtz, whose injury meant that any hopes of a comeback were dashed before they even began. The young playmaker’s absence left a void that Alonso’s side struggled to fill, and Bayern’s dominance went unchallenged. Alonso, typically known for his tactical control, found himself scrambling for a formula to compensate.
Meanwhile, Kane and his teammates are looking forward to a quarter-final clash where the winner may be seen as a potential favourite for the title. “We showed what type of team we are,” Kane reflected after the match, referring to their progress since difficult results in the group stage against Barcelona and Feyenoord. “We pressed high and with intensity. That’s what we wanted to do here. It’s never easy with a three-goal lead.”
It remains to be seen whether that philosophy will take hold, but Kane may empathize with the importance Leverkusen places on Wirtz, given how Pep Guardiola once called his entire Spurs team after him. Yet, Bayern here looked far more like a collective, with Kane leading the charge. Within 15 minutes, he could have had a brace, with Lukas Hradecky keeping out a close-range effort and later denying a fierce strike from distance. Despite Leverkusen’s frantic energy, Bayern’s attacking options kept coming.
The desperation from the home side was evident. Alonso admitted that a bit of chaos might be necessary, but the result was a team out of sync, with passes going astray and players struggling to keep their composure. Bayern’s press stifled any chances of rhythm, creating confusion every time Leverkusen had possession.
Patrick Schick, deployed as a focal point to replace Wirtz, squandered Leverkusen’s best first-half chance, heading wide. Alonso gestured for calm, urging his players to settle down and build play, but Bayern’s efficiency was too much to overcome. Even though Leverkusen managed some pressure, the only poise came from Bayern, who consistently attacked and came close again through Michael Olise and Kingsley Coman.
At halftime, Alonso might have clung to memories of his famous Istanbul night 20 years ago when he and Liverpool overturned a deficit against Milan. But as the second half unfolded, it became clear that Leverkusen needed four goals, not three, to turn the tie. Kane’s 33rd goal of the season was his strangest: a Joshua Kimmich free-kick that evaded Schick and Kim Min-jae, leaving Hradecky rooted to the spot. Kane calmly controlled and slotted home, sealing any doubts about the result.
Leverkusen had some flashes of hope, with Jonas Urbig saving from Jeremie Frimpong and Schick. But Bayern were already cruising, with Kane again providing the assist for Davies to score a clinical second. There was still time for Kane to miss a chance and Jamal Musiala to hit the woodwork twice, but the result had long been decided.
“We showed again today how hungry we are for what we want to achieve,” said a pleased Vincent Kompany. “We’ve won now, and I don’t want to get too carried away.” But if the most dangerous opponent is the one you know best, others might want to start taking notice.
