Harry Kane's missed penalty during Bayern's 1-0 victory over Wolfsburg on 9/5/2026 has ignited debate in the Bundesliga. The incident, which occurred in the 33rd minute with the score at 0-0, involved Wolfsburg defender Jeanuel Belocian allegedly tampering with the penalty spot, leading to Kane's rare miss.

The penalty was awarded after Michael Olise was fouled by a Wolfsburg player in the penalty area. Following approximately four minutes of review, the video assistant referee (VAR) confirmed Olise was not offside, leading to Bayern being awarded the spot-kick. However, Kane slipped during his run-up and shot wide of the goal, marking his first penalty miss in the Bundesliga.

According to video footage recorded by Sky Sports, while VAR was reviewing the play, Wolfsburg defender Jeanuel Belocian intentionally stepped heavily on the penalty spot area. This action disturbed the turf around the 11-meter spot and is believed to have caused Kane to slip, leading to his uncharacteristic miss.

Harry Kane missed a penalty during Bayern's 1-0 victory over Wolfsburg in matchday 33 of the Bundesliga on 9/5/2026. *Photo: Bundesliga*

After the match, Belocian admitted to tampering with the penalty spot. "Yes, it was quite simple", the 21-year-old defender stated concisely. Midfielder Patrick Wimmer defended his teammate, suggesting such tactics are part of a relegation battle. He commented, "Those are clearly unsportsmanlike psychological tricks, but sometimes you have to do them when you're at the bottom of the table".

Conversely, Bayern midfielder Tom Bischof criticized the opponent's action. The 20-year-old player emphasized, "I understand Wolfsburg is fighting to avoid the relegation play-off spot. But I think that was unnecessary. No matter how great the pressure, the spirit of fair play should still be respected". Meanwhile, goalkeeper Jonas Urbig expressed more understanding. He stated, "For Wolfsburg, this was a do-or-die match. So I'm not too angry when someone tries to influence a penalty".

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany also disagreed with the opponent's behavior but said he understood the pressure Wolfsburg faced in their relegation fight. The Belgian coach asked, "Should they have just given up?" while maintaining a calm demeanor regarding the post-match controversy.

Jeanuel Belocian steps heavily on the penalty spot area.

Jeanuel Belocian steps heavily on the penalty spot area.

Kane's missed penalty is considered a rare moment for the English striker, who had successfully converted all 24 previous penalties in the Bundesliga. This season, he was also awarded 11 penalties, an unprecedented achievement for a player in a single Bundesliga season.

Despite Kane's penalty miss, Bayern still defeated Wolfsburg thanks to a superb curling shot from Olise. The 0-1 loss left Wolfsburg in 16th place in the Bundesliga with 26 points, level with St. Pauli and only three points ahead of bottom-placed Heidenheim. In the final matchday, Bayern will host Cologne, while Wolfsburg will play a crucial "relegation decider" against St. Pauli.

Following the match, Bayern continued to draw attention due to a frank exchange between Kompany and young midfielder Tom Bischof on Sky Sports. In the interview, Bischof criticized the team's performance, suggesting Bayern failed to execute fundamental aspects of their play, specifically pressing after losing possession.

Minutes later, when asked if he agreed with his player's assessment, Kompany smiled before refuting it. He stated, "No, of course not. He made a mistake in that interview". According to the Belgian coach, Bayern's issue was not their pressing intensity but a lack of patience in their approach to the game. He analyzed, "Players shouldn't always think they need to score three or four goals in the first 10-15 minutes to overwhelm the opponent. We started well for about 10 minutes, then became a bit impatient, and things got more difficult".

Despite publicly disagreeing with his player on television, the Bayern coach remained relaxed. He indicated he would continue discussions with Bischof, adding, "I believe in a few years, he will say the same thing himself".

By Hong Duy