Harry Kane strikes twice to fire Bayern Munich past Chelsea in Champions League opener
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Bayern Munich's Harry Kane celebrates scoring his team's second goal during his side's 3-1 Champions League win over Chelsea on Sept 17.
PHOTO: EPA
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- Bayern Munich beat Chelsea 3-1 in their Champions League opener, with Trevoh Chalobah's own goal and Harry Kane's penalty giving them the lead.
- Cole Palmer briefly rallied Chelsea, while Kane scored his second goal in the 63rd minute, settling the hosts' nerves and securing the win.
- Bayern continued their unbeaten run, while Chelsea tasted defeat for the first time this season.
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MUNICH – England captain Harry Kane says facing English Premier League sides gives him extra motivation to “play better”, after he scored twice in Bayern Munich’s 3-1 home win over Chelsea in their Champions League opener on Sept 17.
England’s record scorer netted Bayern’s second goal with a 27th-minute penalty, after an own goal by Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah had put the hosts in front in the 20th minute.
Chelsea briefly rallied, with Cole Palmer pulling one back just two minutes later, but Kane, who already has five goals in three Bundesliga matches, struck again with a clinical low finish in the 63rd to settle the hosts’ nerves at the Allianz Arena.
“It was a top performance against a really good side,” Kane, who has 10 goals in just six games in all club competitions this season, told Dazn.
“We spoke before the game that we’re playing the club world champions and we had to be on it from the start and we were.”
Asked if Kane’s goalscoring exploits made him the best in the world, Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said: “We can talk about talent and quality, but it’s the hard work which gets him to where he is.
“Based on what I experienced in the best years of my career, that’s a non-negotiable.”
Former England and Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher was more effusive, saying on CBS Sports: “He is one of the greatest goalscorers the game has ever seen. I think he is England’s greatest ever goalscorer (74 goals in 109 games).
“He’s done it in the Premier League with a team that aren’t one of the top teams. He’s gone abroad now with Bayern Munich. All eyes are on him and there’s huge pressure...
“His numbers are off the scale. He can come deep, he can get on the ball and he can play people in. He’s the best striker England have ever had.”
Despite a quiet second half, Palmer put the ball in the net again in the 90th but his effort was ruled out for offside. “It was frustrating. I feel like we deserved more,” he told TNT Sports.
“We started well. We had early chances to score. But when you make mistakes at the highest level, it’s hard to come back... We’ve shown we can compete with one of the best teams in the competition.”
Elsewhere, Marcus Thuram powered home two headed goals, as Inter Milan banished the demons of last season’s Champions League final and won their opening game of the new campaign 2-0 at Ajax Amsterdam.
Inter were hammered 5-0 in the final by Paris Saint-Germain
Marquinhos opened the scoring inside the first three minutes, and PSG followed that up with goals from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes and substitute Goncalo Ramos, demonstrating their hallmark high press and fluidity. AFP, REUTERS
