Kane ready for the 'business end' of the season
Harry Kane insisted that Bayern Munich's season had only just begun after it thumped 10-man Hoffenheim 5-1 to move six points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.
Kane took his tally to 24 goals in 21 league appearances in 2025-2026 with his first-half brace from the penalty spot, but it was Luis Diaz who stole the show.
The former Liverpool winger netted a hat-trick, with his first goal in the 47th minute teed up by Kane, before he added two more in a scintillating attacking display from Bayern.
Michael Olise also grabbed an assist, and he has now recorded at least one assist in six consecutive Bundesliga matches. With 16 assists in 2025-2026, the Frenchman has already surpassed his tally from last season (15).
The Bundesliga giant is also in the quarter-finals of the DFB-Pokal, where it faces RB Leipzig, as well as the last 16 of the Champions League, and Kane is relishing the challenge of the upcoming schedule.
"Obviously, there's been a bit of disquiet around the team in the last few weeks after not winning a few games," Kane said.
"That's why it was important for us to stay calm and true to ourselves. We had a full week to prepare, the level in training was very high.
"You see that the squad is fit, the squad is healthy, everyone’s pushing to be on the pitch. And you saw that again today, especially in the first 15 minutes.
"We came out with real intensity. Then they were reduced to 10. That disturbed our rhythm a bit. We needed about 15 or 20 minutes to get back into our game and our style.
"Credit to Hoffenheim, they're a good side and play good football. We know we're coming into the crucial phase of the season now.
"We have a good lead at the top at the moment, but as we saw last week, that can also quickly shrink.
"We said early on in the season that we wanted to be in a good position with a fit, healthy squad in February and March.
"We're top of the table, still in the DFB Cup and finished in the top eight in the Champions League.
"This is a good moment for us. The season begins for real now – and we have to carry on from here and see who can keep up."
"Perfect would maybe be if it had finished 5-0 or 6-0, but we respect Hoffenheim and knew that they're a good team, so it’s a good result.
"We couldn't have asked for much more from this match, and we're in the position we need to be in. Now the full focus is on Leipzig.
"Obviously, you try to strike a balance, but when you score so many goals, you have to encourage that.
"I've got a lot of experience in these situations, where you've got a chance of winning something at the end. You need tunnel vision.
"It doesn't matter if you get three points, put in a good or bad performance – you have to move on straight away and be at your best again in the next game."
