Soccer Football - Bundesliga - SV Darmstadt 98 v Bayern Munich - Merck-Stadion am Bollenfalltor, Darmstadt, Germany - March 16, 2024 Bayern Munich's Harry Kane celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
DARMSTADT, Germany (Reuters) -Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane bagged a record-breaking 31st league goal and Jamal Musiala added two more in the side's 5-2 demolition of hosts Darmstadt 98 on Saturday that moved the champions to within seven points of leaders Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.
Kane put Bayern, who face Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals next month, 2-1 up in first-half stoppage time to take his league tally to 31, more than any player has scored in their first Bundesliga season.
It is also a personal league best for the England captain -- the Bundesliga's most expensive transfer at 100 million euros -- who scored between Musiala's two goals.
But he was taken off injured in the 81st after sliding into the post, getting tangled in the sidenetting and twisting his ankle.
"He stumbled and fell in the net and twisted his ankle," Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel said. "He is cooling it now with ice. There is no diagnosis yet. We have to wait and see and hope it is just a scary moment."
England, preparing for Euro 2024 in Germany in June, play Brazil on March 23 and Belgium three days later.
"Overall we are happy with a deserved win. We kept creating chances and we deserved the goals we scored," Tuchel said.
"It has been a good week and we have a very good atmosphere and are training well. We are happy to continue our run after our wins over Lazio (in the Champions League) and Mainz 05 (last week)," said the coach who will leave at the end of the season after a poor run at the start of the year.
The win lifts Bayern to 60 points in second place, with Leverkusen, on 67, travelling to Freiburg on Sunday. VfB Stuttgart are third on 56 following a 3-0 away win at Hoffenheim.
The visitors had the upper hand from the start but it was Darmstadt who struck first, with Tim Skarke slotting in to polish off a quick break that caught Bayern off guard in the 28th minute.
They did not have to wait long for an equaliser after teenager Aleksandar Pavlovic, fresh from being picked for the Germany squad for friendly matches later in March, dribbled past three players, charged into the box and found Kane, who passed to Musiala to finish the move in the 36th.
Kane then completed their comeback in stoppage time with a diving header but Bayern almost conceded another themselves when Darmstadt's Oscar Vilhelmsson hit the crossbar on the stroke of halftime.
Germany international Musiala, in superb form, put the game to bed in the 64th minute with a stunning solo run for his 10th league goal but they were not yet done.
Substitute Serge Gnabry and Mathys Tel both got onto the scoresheet before Vilhelmsson bagged another goal for Darmstadt, who also hit the woodwork once more late in the game.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; editing by Clare Fallon, Hugh Lawson and Christian Radnedge)
