The striker may not win any trophies in his first season in Bavaria, but his numbers are among the best European football has ever seen
Harry Kane was the subject of social media ridicule after his Bayern Munich debut. He came on in the 63rd minute of the German Super Cup, managed three touches, and didn't get a clear look at goal. RB Leipzig battered Bayern on the day, running out 3-0 victors.
Yes, Leipzig are a good team, and yes, Kane had only been in the country for less than 72 hours, but it seemed a cruel twist of fate that the England captain could join the one club that expected to win every domestic competition – and immediately be part of the side that lost a final.
The result was, of course, no fault of Kane's. The Bavarians were down 2-0 when he entered the fray, and Dani Olmo's 68th-minute penalty had little to do with the ex-Tottenham man. Still, it served as an ideal platform for the Internet trolls to work their magic. 'Spurs-iness' had followed Kane across the continent, it seemed.
Since then, Bayern have been beleaguered by injuries, bad luck, and poor performances. But among it all, Kane is the only player keeping them from totally drowning. To date, he has scored 30 Bundesliga goals, and added a further six in the Champions League. He has reached double-digit assists, too.
The memes cannot be stopped, and social media will always exist, but Kane is piecing together one of the great European striking seasons, and should be celebrated for that.
getty imagesImmaculate goal-scoring record
Kane's goalscoring prowess has never been called into question. He scored 213 times in the Premier League for Spurs, and was well on track to break Alan Shearer's record of 260 when he left for Bayern. He eclipsed 20 strikes in the English top-flight on six occasions – hitting 30 in his final campaign in England.
In the Bundesliga, he has been just as effective. After being trolled for his lack of contribution in a meaningless friendly, Kane has battered the league. In 25 starts, he has scored 30 goals, while also adding six assists. He is overperforming his 24.5 expected goals by some margin – the mark of a classy finisher. His numbers haven't been as eye-catching in Europe, but he still has six in eight, with three assists thrown in for good measure.
He only needed three months to become the top-scoring Englishman in a Bundesliga season. If he continues this form – and he is showing few signs of slowing down after bagging a hat-trick against Mainz on March 9 – Kane could comfortably hit 50 in all competitions.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesDragging Bayern to wins
And these goals have come in crucial situations, too. It has long been a criticism of Kane that he hasn't shown up in the right moments. He was anonymous in the Euro 2020 final, barely got a kick in the 2019 Champions League final, and missed a penalty at the 2022 World Cup that ultimately saw the Three Lions exit the tournament.
But his ability to show up in key moments this season has been invaluable – especially for a misfiring Bayern side. He scored and assisted in his side's 4-3 win over Manchester United to open the Champions League group stage; he found the net in a 2-2 draw with league leaders Bayer Leverkusen; and on March 5, he fired a brace to overturn a 1-0 aggregate deficit against Lazio in the Champions League last 16. Hat-tricks against Borussia Dortmund, Darmstadt, Bochum and Mainz only further his case.
Perhaps his only absentee showing was in a 3-0 loss to Leverkusen in early February, a game in which Bayern were so thoroughly outplayed that even Tuchel criticised his side for not getting Kane more involved. That defeat was by no means Kane's fault, and when Bayern have needed their star man, he has answered the call on almost every occasion.
Getty ImagesHunting down Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski put up historic numbers in the 2020-21 season. In just 29 games, he found the net 41 times – a Bundesliga record. He scored a goal every 60 minutes domestically, and every 103 in the Champions League. That he came second to Lionel Messi in Ballon d'Or voting, just a year after a presumptive snub when the award was cancelled, was a surprise.
Enter Kane. The Englishman is scoring at a rate that is equal to what Lewandowski managed in his record-breaking season. If he continues his current pace, Kane will finish the season with the same number of goals.
However, with the shackles likely to be off in the final weeks of the campaign as Tuchel's time in charge winds down and the title race all but over, don't be surprised if Bayern take out their frustrations on some lower hanging fruit, such as they did in the 8-1 win over Mainz. Expect Kane to be to the fore if there are any repeat results before mid-May.
GettyGolden Shoe almost secure
Outside of Germany, no one else in Europe is coming close to Kane's numbers this season. Despite his prolific seasons of old, Kane has never won the European Golden Shoe. The Premier League has always offered stern competition, while Lewandowski, Erling Haaland, Lionel Mess and others have kept him out of the running.
This year, though, Kane is clear. His 30 domestic goals are seven more than second-placed Lautaro Martinez of Inter, ands nine more than Stuttgart hotshot Serhou Guirassy in third. Kylian Mbappe, meanwhile, has 21 to his name, while Haaland is further back at 18. Should Kane continue to score at his current rate – or even improve – he will end the campaign with the highest Golden Shoe-winning total since Cristiano Ronaldo bagged 48 in the 2014-15 season.
Bayern may not be racking up the results to match his production, but Kane should at least earn some more individual trophies to go with his potentially historic campaign.