Bayern Munich 3-0 VfB Stuttgart: Kane brace lifts Bayern past visitors

Bayern Munich defeated fourth-placed VfB Stuttgart 3-0 on Sunday, leaving them four points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen with a game in hand. Bundesliga top scorer Harry Kane scored once in each half.

The England captain, who joined the league for 100 million euros ($108.94 million) from Tottenham Hotspur this season, has scored 20 goals in 14 league games.

Kane is only the third player in league history to reach that milestone by or before the halfway point, and he also needed the fewest Bundesliga appearances to do so.

Meanwhile, Bayern has scored in their 64th consecutive Bundesliga home game, matching their 1970-74 run.

Despite a string of injuries and the last-minute absences due to illness of Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka, Bayern took three points and now have 35. Leverkusen have 39 points after a 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.

The league will take a break after next week's games and resume on January 12.

Bayern were desperate to avenge last week's 5-1 loss to Frankfurt, and Kane scored after just two minutes, tapping in from a Leroy Sane pass.

The Bavarians had the upper hand throughout and missed numerous chances, with Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nuebel kept busy and the visitors struggling, with their top scorer Serhou Guirassy, who has 16 league goals, contained.

Kane doubled Bayern's lead in the 55th minute after being left unmarked to head home a cross from Aleksandar Pavlovic and an assist from Kim Min-jae.

Eight minutes later, man-of-the-match Kim Min-jae's deflected header caught Nuebel off guard, effectively ending any hopes of a Stuttgart comeback in Bayern's final home game of the year.

SportsLigue