Kane Leads Short-Handed Bayern to Nine Point Advantage

Bayern Munich, despite being severely depleted, secured a comfortable 4-0 victory on the road against struggling Heidenheim on Sunday, reestablishing their nine point cushion at the summit of the standings in Harry Kanes debut as skipper.

Borussia Dortmund had narrowed the deficit to the frontrunners to six points the previous Friday, yet Bayern dominated proceedings throughout, triumphing with strikes from Josip Stanisic, Michael Olise, Luis Diaz, and Kane.

This result in the years closing fixture ensures Bayern maintain a substantial lead at the Bundesliga summit when action pauses until early January.

Heidenheim hosted a Bayern side bereft of nearly an entire first choice lineup, absent were Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, Konrad Laimer, Nicolas Jackson, Kim Min jae, and Aleksandar Pavlovic due to injuries, bans, or commitments at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Just two field players among Bayerns substitutes had previously featured in a Bundesliga starting lineup.

With so many key figures unavailable, the England captain Kane donned the armband for the initial occasion in his 121st outing for Bayern across competitive fixtures.

Following eye surgery earlier in the week on Monday, Olise showed no signs of discomfort in contributing to Bayerns breakthrough, delivering a corner that Stanisic converted after a deflection off Jonathan Tah.

Olise added a second for Bayern shortly past the half hour, this time from a free kick that reached Hiroki Ito, who set up the French forward for an easy finish.

Returning revitalised after sitting out Bayerns prior three games through suspension, Diaz nodded in the decisive fourth goal with only four minutes left on the clock.

Although Kane squandered a straightforward opportunity soon after the interval, he made amends in added time, evading two challenges before rifling a shot low into the near corner for his 30th strike of the campaign across all tournaments.

Elsewhere on Sunday, relegation threatened Mainz and 16th placed St Pauli played out a goalless stalemate.