Bayern Munich 8-0 SV Darmstadt 98 (28 Oct, 2023) Game Analysis

Bayern Munich scored a stunning 8-0 win over SV Darmstadt 98 on Saturday, featuring a Harry Kane hat-trick and all the second-half goals, to take the Bundesliga lead as the team’s return from injury Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was overshadowed by recording three red cards in the first half.

The hosts, playing with ten men, were unstoppable after the break against Darmstadt with nine men, opening their account with a diving header from Kane in the 52nd minute.

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Leroy Sané scored twice, either side of a Jamal Musiala goal to kill off the game and Kane scored again with a superb 60-yard looping shot from inside Bayern’s half.

Thomas Müller added another and Musiala scored his second five minutes later before Kane completed his hat-trick with his 12th goal in nine league matches.

“It was a nice hat trick, with some nice goals,” Kane said. “It’s a credit to the team. I’ve said it before, with these players around me I know I’m going to get chances. So I just have to make sure I’m in the right place , at the right time.”

During a topsy-turvy first half, Bayern’s Joshua Kimmich and two Darmstadt players were sent off with consecutive red cards. This is the first time this has happened in the first 45 minutes of a Bundesliga match.

“It was a crazy first half against a tough opponent,” Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel said.

“Overall, the first half was marked by too many mistakes and we lacked intensity. After the break the response was clear. We had an extra player, we created a lot of chances and scored a lot of goals.”

Tuchel added: “But it was an unusual match. Nobody expected it to end like this.”

Bayern have 23 points, one ahead of Bayer Leverkusen, who face Freiburg on Sunday. VfB Stuttgart dropped to third place with 21 points after their 3-2 home defeat to Hoffenheim.

RB Leipzig crushed Cologne 6-0 and are fourth on 20 points, level with Borussia Dortmund who can join Bayern at the top with victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.

In Munich, all eyes were on Neuer, 37, who broke his leg in a skiing accident in December 2022 after Germany’s early elimination from the World Cup, and he received a welcome warm welcome from the home fans as he led his team as captain.

The celebrations turned sour, however, in the fourth minute when Neuer passed the ball to midfielder Kimmich, who failed to control the ball and brought down Marwin Mehlem on the edge of the area and forced out.

The tie was restored in the 21st when the visitors were also left with 10 men following Klaus Gjasula’s sending off for a last-man foul on Konrad Laimer.

Neuer showed he was on track to return to his best when he stopped Mehlem’s effort after an early break in Darmstadt before the visitors had another player sent off.

Matej Maglica was sent off in the 41st after bringing down Kane, who was sprinting clear, setting a league record with three first-half expulsions.

Nothing could stop Bayern after the break as they went on a rampage, scoring eight times in 37 minutes.

Darmstadt were helpless and Kane’s audacious second goal was an early candidate for goal of the year.

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.