BERLIN
Harry Kane found the back of the net in open play for the first time since November, helping Bayern Munich to a 2-0 victory at Freiburg on Saturday. This win allowed Bayern to extend its lead in the Bundesliga to six points. The defending champions also benefited from Bayer Leverkusen’s 2-2 stalemate in Leipzig, where Florian Wirtz hit the post three times, overshadowed by Edmond Tapsoba’s unfortunate late own goal.
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund managed to halt a four-game losing streak across all competitions in its first outing since parting ways with coach Nuri Sahin. However, there was little to celebrate as the 10-man squad had to work hard to secure a 2-2 draw against Werder Bremen. Dortmund had initially raced to a two-goal lead before Nico Schlotterbeck was shown a red card, allowing Bremen to rally back. Former Dortmund players Leonardo Bittencourt and Marvin Ducksch found the net for Werder Bremen.
In the absence of a permanent head coach, Dortmund Under-19s coach Mike Tullberg took over temporarily as the club seeks a new manager. “When you’re 2-0 up at home, you want to win,” Tullberg mentioned, while Dortmund’s sporting director, Lars Ricken, stated that he would remain in charge for the upcoming Champions League fixture against Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday.
Kane opened the scoring early in the match with a well-placed right-footed shot past Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu after skillfully turning inside Philipp Lienhart. This marked Kane’s first league goal from open play since November 22, where previously he had only managed to score two penalties across six Bundesliga matches. Bayern coach Vincent Kompany emphasized the broader impact Kane has on the team, underscoring his defensive contributions as well. “He also plays an important role with his character,” Kompany stated. “He’s going to give his all to be successful this year, and we’re using that, too.”
Bayern secured their second goal through Kim Min-jae after the interval. Matthias Ginter later reduced the deficit with a header from a corner in the 69th minute, but Freiburg’s efforts ultimately fell short. With this victory, Bayern accumulated 48 points after 19 matches, marking their best return in nine seasons. Kompany’s side has clinched victory in their last five Bundesliga matches.
“We’ve often won playing very good football,” Kompany remarked. “It wasn’t our finest performance today, but it’s among the sweetest victories. This Freiburg team is very strong at home.” In other Bundesliga action, Stuttgart, the runner-up from last season, suffered a 2-0 defeat against Mainz, while Augsburg secured a 2-1 win at home against relegation-threatened Heidenheim. Borussia Mönchengladbach rounded off the day with a convincing 3-0 win over last-placed Bochum.
