Harry Kane struck twice as Bayern Munich set a European record of 14 consecutive wins to start a season, defeating Cologne 4-1 in the German Cup second round on Wednesday.
Kane’s first goal — a stunning curling effort on the turn — was followed by a powerful header in the second half, taking his tally to 22 goals in just 14 matches this season. Wingers Luis Díaz and Michael Olise were also on target for the 20-time German Cup champions.
Cologne’s Ragnar Ache had given the hosts an early lead, marking the first time this season Bayern had fallen behind in a match.
The win saw Bayern surpass Fabio Capello’s 1992–93 AC Milan record of 13 straight victories in all competitions, previously the best start ever recorded by a club in Europe’s top five leagues.
England captain Kane, in sensational form, has now recorded two hat-tricks and six braces during Bayern’s historic run, failing to score in only two games so far.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany praised the striker’s all-round contribution:
“It’s funny — I asked someone after the match if Harry scored, and they said, ‘Yes, two goals.’ Sometimes you don’t even notice because of everything else he does for the team,” Kompany told ARD.
Earlier in the day, Bayer Leverkusen survived a scare to win 4-2 after extra time against 10-man Paderborn. Goals from Ibrahim Maza and Aleix Garcia deep into extra time sealed the victory after Paderborn had led twice.
Cup holders Stuttgart also advanced with a 2-0 win at Mainz, courtesy of goals from Luca Jaquez and Atakan Karazor.
Meanwhile, former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius endured a nightmare as Schalke were crushed 4-0 by Darmstadt in an all-second-division clash.
Other teams to progress included Union Berlin, Freiburg, Magdeburg, and Kaiserslautern, joining Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and others in the round of 16.
