A brace from Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane helped the German champions thump Flamengo out of the FIFA Club World Cup in the Round of 16 after a fiercely contested battle.
Die Rekordmeister beat the Brazilians 4-2 at the MetLife Stadium in an action-packed match-up, setting up a mouth-watering quarter-final showdown with Paris Saint-Germain.
Bayern took the lead early when Erick Pulgar turned a Joshua Kimmich corner into his net in the sixth minute.
Kane made matters worse for Filipe Luis’ side three minutes later as he turned and unleashed a laser-guided shot off his left boot to double the Bayern lead.
However, Flamengo scrambled to get back into the game and got their goal through captain Gerson, who crashed the box before unleashing a venomous shot on 33 that beat Manuel Neuer.
Unfortunately for Flamengo, Bayern hit back eight minutes later through Leon Goretzka following a poor clearance.
The German international caught it perfectly, leaving the keeper flat-footed as the ball nestled into the back of the net.
Flamengo showed they were no pushovers. They deservedly beat Chelsea in the group stage and gave Bayern a run for their money.
They won a penalty off an avoidable Michael Olise handball incident, and Jorginho converted the chance to make it 3-2, setting up a tentative conclusion.
Flamengo tried to rally, but Kane put them away following a sniper’s finish on 73 after he was set free. He starred in the win and will be key to Bayern’s chances of beating PSG in the quarter-final.
The 31-year-old is now up to 41 goals for the season and has become the first Englishman in the history of the professional game to score 40-plus goals in successive seasons.
No Englishman has more seasons with 40+ goals (three, including 2017/18 with Tottenham Hotspur). He is also the top English scorer in the Club World Cup.
