Harry Kane scored a quickfire second-half double as ten-man Bayern Munich sealed their place in the Champions League round of 16 with a 2-0 victory over Union Saint-Gilloise at the Allianz Arena. The England captain's clinical finishing proved decisive as Vincent Kompany's side overcame the 63rd-minute sending off of Kim Min-Jae to secure automatic qualification with one match to spare.
The match remained goalless at halftime despite Bayern's dominance of possession and territory against the Belgian visitors. The breakthrough finally came in the 52nd minute when Kane rose highest to head home Michael Olise's perfectly delivered corner kick, giving the German giants the lead they had been searching for throughout the opening period.
Just three minutes later, Kane doubled Bayern's advantage from the penalty spot after he was brought down inside the box by goalkeeper Thomas Scherpen. The conversion was Kane's seventh Champions League goal of the season, continuing his remarkable scoring form in European competition since joining Bayern from Tottenham.
Bayern's task became more complicated when defender Kim Min-Jae received a straight red card in the 63rd minute for a last-man foul. Despite being reduced to ten men, Kompany's side maintained their composure and continued to threaten the Union goal, with Kane nearly completing his hat-trick on multiple occasions.
The England striker was denied a treble when his 81st-minute penalty cannoned off the crossbar after Kamiel Van de Perre was penalized for handball following Olise's cross. Referee Rade Obrenovic consulted the pitchside monitor before pointing to the spot, but Kane's effort struck the woodwork, ending his run of nine consecutive successful penalties.
The victory lifts Bayern to second place in the league phase standings with 18 points from seven matches, securing their passage to the knockout rounds. Kane has now been directly involved in 32 goals across 32 Champions League appearances for Bayern, comprising 26 goals and six assists, the most by any player in the competition since the start of the 2023-24 season. Bayern will complete their league phase campaign next Wednesday away at PSV Eindhoven, while Union Saint-Gilloise host Atalanta in their final fixture.
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