Kane scores again as Bayern back on top of the Bundesliga with 1-0 win over Cologne

Berlin: Harry Kane scored yet again to lead Bayern Munich to the top of the Bundesliga with a 1-0 win at Cologne.

No other player has ever scored 18 goals in the first 12 rounds of the Bundesliga, while Kane also became the first English player to reach 18 goals in a single Bundesliga season, overtaking the 17 scored both by Jadon Sancho for Borussia Dortmund (2019-20) and Kevin Keegan for Hamburger SV (1978-79).

From Bayern’s point of view, Kane’s goal put the pressure on early season leader Bayer Leverkusen, which can reclaim first place Saturday with a win at Werder Bremen.

But Bayern, the 11-time defending champion, missed several opportunities to put the result beyond doubt and had to endure unnecessarily nervy final minutes in Cologne, where Jamal Musiala scored late on the final day last season to snatch the title from Dortmund.

“One-nil, we probably know we could have scored a couple more in the first half but, really, a great victory,” Kane said.

Thomas M ller had to be content to watch from the sideline again Friday as coach Thomas Tuchel opted for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting in support of star forward Kane. It was the eighth league game in which the Bayern veteran sat among the substitutes this time for the whole match.

M ller hasn’t started in any of Bayern’s four Champions League games so far, while the only time he played a full match this season was in Bayern’s shock 2-1 loss to third-division team Saarbr cken in the German Cup.

Bayern almost scored when Cologne defender Timo H bers deflected the ball against his own post, but the visitors didn’t have to wait long for Kane to strike in the 20th minute.

It came on a counterattack when Choupo-Moting’s shot was cleared off the line by Julian Chabot but only as far as Kane, who gratefully sent the ball inside the right

post.