Bayern Munich Nears Bundesliga Crown as Harry Kane Faces Suspended Triumph

Bayern Munich is on the verge of clinching its 34th Bundesliga title, but the Bavarian giants will likely do so without their leading scorer, Harry Kane, on the pitch.

The England captain received his fifth yellow card of the season during Bayern’s 3-0 victory over Mainz on Saturday, triggering an automatic suspension for their upcoming fixture against Leipzig. Despite Kane’s absence, Bayern remains poised to secure the title next weekend, needing just a single point to mathematically seal the championship.

Kane, who has amassed individual accolades throughout his career but has yet to lift a major team trophy, may finally see that drought end — though from the sidelines. The 30-year-old’s quest for silverware has been a narrative of near-misses until now.

Bayern needed both a win over Mainz and a favor from Augsburg against Bayer Leverkusen to lift the trophy immediately. While Bayern did their part thanks to goals from Leroy Sané, Michael Olise and Eric Dier, Leverkusen kept the title race alive with a 2-0 victory over Augsburg, courtesy of Patrik Schick and Emiliano Buendía. The result leaves Bayern eight points clear with three matches remaining.

Mathematically, Leverkusen can still defend their historic first Bundesliga title if they win all three remaining matches and Bayern loses their final three, but Bayern’s vastly superior goal difference suggests even a draw at Leipzig will suffice.

Sané opened the scoring for Bayern in the 27th minute, with Olise doubling the advantage before halftime. Moments before the break, Kane was booked for delaying the restart after a foul. Dier added Bayern’s third in the closing stages, heading in Olise’s corner just after Thomas Müller entered for his 500th Bundesliga appearance.

Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund staged late drama as Waldemar Anton netted a stoppage-time winner to seal a 3-2 triumph at Hoffenheim. The goal sparked controversy after Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann collided with Carney Chukwuemeka in the buildup, but referee Benjamin Brand allowed the goal following a VAR review that ruled it accidental.

The victory pushed Dortmund to sixth place, within three points of fourth-placed Freiburg. Freiburg themselves edged Wolfsburg 1-0 to seize the final Champions League qualifying spot, aided by Wolfsburg captain Maximilian Arnold’s first-half dismissal.

In the lower end of the table, Holstein Kiel lifted themselves off the bottom with a thrilling 4-3 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach. Japanese forward Shuto Machino scored twice in stoppage time, delivering the decisive blow after Gladbach fought back twice to level the score.

Meanwhile, the Champions League race tightened as Eintracht Frankfurt dismantled Leipzig 4-0. Ansgar Knauff struck twice, while Hugo Ekitike and Robin Koch also found the net. Leipzig, reduced to 10 men after El Chadaille Bitshiabu’s sending off in the 50th minute, surrendered their grip on fourth place to Freiburg.