Harry Kane scored his 40th and 41st goals of the season as Bayern Munich secured their place in the FIFA Club World Cup quarter-finals with a pulsating 4-2 victory over Brazilian side Flamengo on Sunday.
The German champions will now face European champions Paris St-Germain in a heavyweight last-eight encounter on Saturday.
In a high-intensity match at Hard Rock Stadium, Bayern took the lead inside six minutes when a Joshua Kimmich corner was inadvertently diverted into his own net by Flamengo’s Chilean midfielder, Erick Pulgar. Just three minutes later, Harry Kane doubled their advantage with a fierce, low drive that took a slight deflection.
Flamengo, who had entered the game on an 11-match unbeaten run, pulled a goal back through a rasping strike from Gerson. However, Leon Goretzka restored Bayern’s two-goal cushion before halftime with a long-range effort that wrongfooted goalkeeper Agustin Rossi.
The Brazilian side reduced the deficit again early in the second half when former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Jorginho converted a penalty, awarded after a handball by Michael Olise. But Kane had the final say, sealing the victory with a composed finish from a Kimmich pass with 18 minutes remaining, his third goal of the tournament.
The brace took the 31-year-old England captain beyond the 40-goal mark in all competitions for a second consecutive season, a first in his career.
The match was a difficult one for Flamengo’s Pulgar, who, after his early own goal, was later carried off on a stretcher following a rash challenge on Kane which earned him a yellow card.
Bayern Munich will now travel to Atlanta for their quarter-final clash with Paris St-Germain on Saturday, July 5. Flamengo will exit the competition and resume their domestic league campaign against Santos on July 17.
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