Kane scores again as Bayern Munich move into DFB-Pokal final with win over Bayer Leverkusen

This fixture held great significance for Bayern, as victory would bring them nearer to snapping their Pokal dry spell while sustaining aspirations for a treble.

Vincent Kompany’s team began assertively, nearly scoring when Luis Díaz curled a shot that Mark Flekken diverted away.

Bayer Leverkusen enjoyed a short spell of pressure in attack soon after, yet the away side regained control around the 20-minute mark and quickly found the net.

A deft flick from Michael Olise on the right unlocked Jamal Musiala, who chose to square the ball inside for Harry Kane to compose and smash it high past the keeper.

Aiming to double their lead, Bayern kept dominating, with Joshua Kimmich and Olise forcing saves from Flekken, and Kane almost reaching 53 goals this season across competitions via a fierce volley that sailed just high.

Tensions rose towards the break, fuelling intense action from both teams upon resuming.

Robert Andrich dashed back to clear Díaz’s lofted attempt off the goal line, but Manuel Neuer countered with a superb denial of Nathan Tella’s strike from distance.

Sensing a single goal could prove insufficient against opponents who netted three or more in their last six Pokal home ties, Bayern pressed forward, though Flekken thwarted Kane from netting his 16th brace of the campaign.

With roughly 20 minutes left, Bayer Leverkusen gained momentum, as Patrik Schick nodded Jarell Quansah’s delivery narrowly beyond the bar, but chances dried up thereafter.

Bayern struck decisively on the break in stoppage time, with Leon Goretzka threading Díaz clear to loft the ball over the keeper into the goal.

Having clinched the Bundesliga crown already, the nation’s most decorated outfit now focuses on the Pokal showpiece against Stuttgart or Freiburg, alongside a Champions League semi-final clash versus reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain.

Bayer Leverkusen, by contrast, have lifted no silverware since their double triumph two seasons back, leaving supporters wishing their current barren run ends far sooner than the 31 years that preceded it.