Looking ahead to Barcelona with confidence after Kane show

That felt good. Following three winless games before the international break, this October evening was music to FC Bayern’s ears. Whilst previous performances had been good, the final results were disappointing – and Harry Kane hadn't scored either. Yet the 4-0 win against VfB Stuttgart, the third-best attacking team in the league, flipped the script, featuring Kane's first "lupenrein" hat-trick (three goals scored in the same half) in a Bayern shirt in what was a brilliant second half. The exhilarating final phases in the southern clash is a sign of good things to come. On Tuesday, the Bayern squad will travel to Barcelona on the Mediterranean coast for an important Champions League away game. “We've won and can enjoy the moment before we face Barcelona,” said Bayern coach Vincent Kompany after the final whistle.

The Kane show in the second act

Back to the jubilant evening against Stuttgart: while the first half was rather uneventful, events took a turn after the break. In the 57th minute, Kane received the ball from Joshua Kimmich, who was playing his 400th competitive game for Bayern against his boyhood club, and scored from some distance to make it 1-0. The celebration between the England captain and his team-mates showed "what it means", as they say in Kane's homeland. The pressure was off the 31-year-old as he clenched his fist and celebrated in the direction of head coach Kompany, who also celebrated with his goal-getter. That felt good. “The first goal was very important, it opened up the game,” said Kane. “I always believe in myself. It's part of being a striker that when you don’t score, people talk about it. I'm just happy to have scored.”

“He works hard for the team, which is often forgotten,” said board member for sport Max Eberl. “He followed up his first with another two to show what a killer instinct he has.” With eight goals in only seven games, the centre-forward is now back in hot pursuit of Bundesliga top scorer Omar Marmoush, who took his tally to nine on Saturday.

The action didn’t stop there. Three minutes later, Kane had a great chance to make it 2-0, but Bayern loanee Alexander Nübel made a strong save to keep Stuttgart in the game. A minute later, however, he too was unable to stop the Bayern attack. The 75,000 spectators in the stadium held their breath for a moment after a fine back-heel from the bustling Thomas Müller, asking themselves: what just happened? Indeed, it was suddenly 2-0 for Kompany's team, and the Allianz Arena rose to give Kane a standing ovation. The Englishman warded off several Stuttgart defenders, chipping it over the last and scoring a sublime goal: it was simply world class. “Harry has worked hard for the team in the last few games. We’re keeping clean sheets not because he’s scoring three goals, but because he helps defend,” emphasised Kompany, who alluded to the fact that Kane often dropped back against last year's runners-up and was not only omnipresent in the attacking third.

Strong defence anchored by Upamecano and Minjae

The Allianz Arena was now in raptures as Munich were rewarded for their hard work and dominance. In addition to the strong forward line headed by Kane and Müller, the defence, anchored by Dayot Upamecano and Minjae Kim, displayed a resolute and composed performance against Deniz Undav, Jamie Leweling & Co. Alphonso Davies continued his good form, while João Palhinha was able to demonstrate his abilities for 82 minutes after Aleksandar Pavlović was substituted off due to injury in the 8th minute. The Portuguese led the way with tenacity and clever passing, showing his irrepressible will in a beautiful scene in the 71st minute: after a successful tackle in front of the Bayern bench, he stood up and fired up the crowd with clenched fists. That felt good!

The final phase of the game also had two highlights in store for all Bayern fans. After a blocked shot from Palhinha, Kane completed his hat-trick and made it 3-0, before substitute Kingsley Coman scored to make it 4-0. Other substitutes including Leroy Sané and, in particular, Konrad Laimer, also brought a second wind to the Reds' ranks.

Off to Barcelona

The fact that the collective always comes first, despite Kane's fantastic performance, was demonstrated by leader Müller during the celebrations after the 3-0 win. While Kane beamed in front of the Südkurve and waited for his colleagues, Müller rounded up all his team-mates to enjoy the moment together in front of the home fans. It felt good – and is emblematic of the Bavarian ‘Mia San Mia’ feeling. With this self-confidence, they now head to the landmark clash in Europe’s elite club competition at Barcelona on Wednesday evening. Kane, Kimmich, Kim & Co will be looking to pick up where they left off in the second half against Stuttgart.