At MHP Arena, Kane quickly found his scoring rhythm. Bayern was already leading 1-0 from Konrad Laimer's 11th-minute backheel goal.

The England striker needed just six minutes to double the lead with a long-range shot from 25 m. He then converted a penalty in the 82nd minute to make it 4-0, and tapped in to seal the 5-0 victory in the 88th minute. The defending champions' other goal came from Josip Stanisic, who scored with a low shot from the edge of the box.

Kane (left) celebrates during Bayern's 5-0 victory over Stuttgart in Bundesliga round 13 on 6/12. *Photo: AFP*

The hat-trick against Stuttgart further widened Kane's lead in the 2025-2026 Bundesliga Golden Boot race. The 32-year-old star now has 17 goals after 13 rounds, double the 8 goals of Eintracht Frankfurt striker Jonathan Burkardt. Luis Diaz of Bayern, Haris Tabakovic of Moenchengladbach, and Deniz Undav of Stuttgart are all tied for third with 7 goals.

Kane began his Bundesliga career in summer 2023. In his debut season, he claimed the Golden Boot with 36 goals, 8 more than runner-up Serhou Guirassy of Stuttgart.

By the 2024-2025 season, Kane's goal tally decreased to 26, but he successfully defended his individual title. Guirassy, now playing for Dortmund, scored 21 goals, sharing second place with Patrik Schick of Leverkusen.

Following the win against Stuttgart, Bayern solidified their top position with 37 points, from 12 wins and one draw. Should second-placed RB Leipzig defeat Frankfurt in their late match, the gap would reduce to 8 points.

This result serves as a positive warm-up for Bayern before hosting Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League next mid-week. A victory against the Portuguese side would consolidate Kane and his teammates' third position in the group stage, securing early qualification.

Thanh Quy