Fire Up the Allianz Arena: Kane's Double Strike Sinks Stuttgart's Sails
Bundesliga titans Bayern Munich, guided by the formidable duo of Harry Kane, refused to let their title rivals Bayer Leverkusen slip away, even amidst a wave of misfortune. With international heavyweights Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka out due to illness, the German soccer giants controlled the high-flying VfB Stuttgart 3-0 (1-0) in the Bundesliga showpiece on a chilly Sunday evening.
Kane once again took center stage, salt and peppering his nineteenth and twentieth season goals in the twentieth and fifty-fifth minutes, respectively. South Korean defender Minjae Kim, who appeared like a force of nature, netted his first goal for Bayern in the sixtieth minute. Bayern team patron Uli Hoeneß could hardly contain his delight in the Allianz Arena stands.
VfB, helmed by Hoeneß's nephew Sebastian Hoeneß, never managed to replicate their recent top form in front of 75,000 spectators. The Swabians have yet to prove themselves as genuine title contenders. The Munich goals arrived all too effortlessly, and no clear scoring chances materialized for ninety minutes, with Manuel Neuer having a serene evening between the Bayern sticks.
Leverkusen's gap at the Bundesliga summit had swollen to seven points before the kickoff. Bayer had overpowered Eintracht Frankfurt by a 3-0 margin in the very same stadium where Bayern had suffered a devastating 1-5 blast only a week prior. However, against VfB, Kane and company restored their formidable form.
Coach Tuchel lamented to DAZN before the match that "there are an abundance of absentees now." His contingency plan for Kimmich and Goretzka included Raphael Guerreiro alongside youngster Aleksandar Pavlović in a double-six role. Pavlović handled his duties competently in front of the defense. Furthermore, he took the set piece for the second goal and the corner that resulted in the third.
Tuchel cleverly tightened up Bayern's midfield in a 4-2-2-2 arrangement. Jamal Musiala and Leroy Sané moved towards the inside, reinforcing the middle. Musiala particularly excelled defensively and captivated with intelligent attacking passes and skillful ball control.
Bayern's dream start to their final home fixture of the year played its part. After Atakan Karazor's misplaced pass, Müller orchestrated a swift Sané dart. The international danced around Alexander Nübel, who had initially joined VfB on loan from Bayern, before supplying Kane with an easy finish. The early advantage fueled the rejuvenated Bayern team with renewed confidence.
The early goal dealt a significant blow to the visitors. Top striker Serhou Guirassy, with a total season tally of 16 goals, had been left out of the Bayern defense by chance. Nübel's inadequate performance at 0-1 kept the visitors in the game until Kane's double strike. Nübel blocked Sané and Kane's goal-bound attempts, but two offside goals from Kim (25) and Müller (45+2) were inexplicably disallowed by the video assistant.
Even after the interval, Bavaria ruled the roost in the top match, relentlessly pressing with the ball and subjecting Stuttgart to repeated bouts of pressure. The visitors' defense proved incapable of dealing with Bayern's set pieces.
By the time the final whistle sounded, Munich had claimed a well-deserved victory, narrowing Leverkusen's lead to four points. The German giants will hope to carry this momentum into their remaining Bundesliga fixtures, chief among which is a top-of-the-table clash against RB Leipzig at home.
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Bonus Insight:
In the TIE breaker scenario, Bayern and Leverkusen would be level on points (88), and goal difference would be the decisive factor. Bayern's superior goal difference of +74 would secure them the championship, as Leverkusen would trail by six goals (70).
Regardless of Leverkusen's results, Bayern cannot afford to rest on their laurels. With just three matches remaining, two of which are against fellow title contenders RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund, every point will matter in the tight Bundesliga title race.
