HEIDENHEIM, Germany (AP) — Harry Kane scored his 60th Bundesliga goal in his 60th game to help Bayern Munich defeat Heidenheim 4-0 and close in on regaining the title on Saturday.
Kane scored the opening goal with a low shot from just outside the penalty area in the 13th minute and nears what would be the first major team trophy of a career filled with individual scoring accolades.
Kane is the fastest player to 60 goals in Bundesliga history, beating Erling Haaland’s mark of 65 games with Borussia Dortmund.
Bayern moves nine points clear of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, which plays St. Pauli on Sunday. Four games remain after this week.
No repeat of a tough defeat
Bayern had a 2-0 lead before collapsing to lose 3-2 the last time it played in Heidenheim. It was a telling moment as Bayern surrendered the Bundesliga title last season to Leverkusen.
This time, Bayern didn't ease up.
Konrad Laimer scored Bayern's second goal on the counter six minutes after Kane's opener and Kane played a part in the buildup as Kingsley Coman made it 3-0 in the 36th on the rebound after Raphael Guerreiro's shot was saved. Joshua Kimmich added the fourth in the second half.
Union Berlin-Stuttgart sets goals record
Union Berlin and Stuttgart set a Bundesliga record with eight goals before halftime. The score was 4-4 at the break, and that's how it ended, too.
Andre Ilic scored twice for 11th-placed Union, while 13th-placed Stuttgart had four different scorers.
Players hurt in collision
A painful-looking collision left Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi and Holstein Kiel defender David Zec needing treatment for concussions and overshadowed their 1-1 draw.
Gulacsi and Zec collided while sprinting to reach the ball and both were substituted, with the Hungarian goalkeeper leaving the field on a stretcher.
Leipzig said Gulacsi had a concussion and an ear injury. “He’s doing well under the circumstances but will stay overnight in hospital for observation,” Leipzig said. Kiel coach Marcel Rapp said Zec had a concussion and was responsive, in comments reported by the dpa agency.
The league requires players with concussion to complete a head injury protocol before they return to training.
Soon after the incident, Benjamin Sesko’s penalty salvaged a draw for Leipzig, which lost ground in the race to qualify for the Champions League.
Leipzig stayed fourth but fifth-placed Freiburg was a point behind following its 3-2 win over Hoffenheim. Mainz was sixth after conceding late in a 2-2 draw with Wolfsburg. Werder Bremen rose two places to seventh by beating Bochum 1-0.
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The Associated Press
