Harry Kane starred as Bayern Munich thrashed Atalanta 4-1 at home in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday, completing a 10-2 aggregate victory to book a quarter-final tie with Real Madrid.
Captain Kane scored in each half, converting a penalty in the 25th minute before adding another strike early in the second half, bringing his career Champions League tally to 50 goals in 66 appearances. Goals from Lennart Karl and Luis Diaz also contributed to Bayern’s commanding win, while Lazar Samardzic scored a late consolation for the visitors.
“I think whenever you have a lead like we did, sometimes it’s easy to be a little bit complacent,” Kane told DAZN. “But we said before the game we want to win in the same style that we did in the first leg. It’s sometimes harder to get up for a game like this, but we were there from minute one to minute 95.”
Bayern faced injury and suspension challenges, missing key players such as Jamal Musiala, Manuel Neuer, and Alphonso Davies, with Joshua Kimmich and Michael Olise suspended. Goalkeeper Jonas Urbig overcame a concussion to start, providing stability at the back.
Atalanta, the last remaining Serie A side in the competition, had little hope of overturning the deficit after their 6-1 loss in Bergamo. Their early energy was undone midway through the first half when VAR spotted a handball by Giorgio Scalvini, awarding Kane a penalty.
Bayern’s dominance continued in the second half with Kane’s second goal, followed by Karl and Diaz scoring in quick succession, showcasing Bayern’s lethal attack. Atalanta’s Samardzic scored a late header but it was too little, too late.
The win sets up a high-stakes quarter-final showdown against Real Madrid, a rematch of the 2023-24 semi-finals when Bayern exited after two late goals by Joselu.
