Harry Kane scored a second-half hat-trick to lead Bayern Munich to a 3-0 victory over Stuttgart in the German Cup final at Berlin's Olympiastadion. The 32-year-old England captain capped off a remarkable season by securing the trophy for Bayern, completing a domestic double.
Kane opened the scoring with a header after 55 minutes. His second goal came after he hit the crossbar from 25 yards, before brilliantly spinning Stuttgart defender Chema Andres inside the penalty area and slotting the ball home. He completed his treble from the penalty spot in stoppage time.
The striker, long mocked for a sparse trophy cabinet, added the DFB Pokal to his two Bundesliga winner's medals. Kane scored in every single round of the competition, bringing his season tally to 61 goals in just 51 games. Following the win, Kane was mobbed by his teammates, including former Liverpool winger Luis Diaz, before lifting the German Cup trophy.
German Cup Triumph and World Cup Focus
"I’m so happy, so proud of the team," said Kane at full time. "A lot of effort has gone into this season and we wanted to finish with a performance like we did today. To win 3-0 and play the way we did is credit to everyone. I’m so excited, I’m excited for the fans. It’s my first cup and my first experience of (the final in) Berlin, what a way to start. Going into the final I felt it was my responsibility to get us over the line. To score a hat-trick in the final is such a special feeling… I’ll remember it for ever."
Former Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel will have been delighted by the performance of his captain, who heads into the World Cup as Europe's most in-form striker. England's campaign gets underway against Croatia on June 17. Speaking after the Three Lions' squad announcement on Friday, Kane said: "I'm extremely proud to be going to another World Cup. I never take these moments for granted, these are the moments I dreamed of growing up."