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Bayern Munich top scorer Harry Kane struck twice in seven minutes late in the game to guide his team to a 2-1 victory over visiting Galatasaray on Wednesday and secure a spot in the Champions League knockout stage with two games to spare.
The England captain, who had scored a hat-trick against Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on Saturday, headed in a Joshua Kimmich free kick in the 80th minute and then tapped in his second six minutes later to make sure of a top two finish.
The visitor cut the deficit in second half stoppage time with Cedric Bakambu.
The Bavarians, who also hit the post with Kane early in the second half, stretched its unbeaten run in Champions League group matches to 38, having won the last 17 in a row, both competition records.
They are top of Group A on 12 points and are certain of a top two finish with two matches left. FC Copenhagen moved into second place on four points, as many as Galatasaray, following its thrilling 4-3 win over Manchester United, who are in last place on three.
In an entertaining first half, both teams had its chances with Galatasaray pressing high but Bayern constantly finding ways to untangle themselves from that pressure.
Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer did well to deny Mauro Icardi at the end of the first half after his Galatasaray counterpart Fernando Muslera had made his own share of good saves earlier.
Kane, who has now scored four goals in the Champions League in his first four matches for Bayern to equal the club record, should have put them in the lead but his volley at the far post only hit the woodwork in the 53rd.
The Turks also thought it had scored just after the hour mark but Icardi was ruled offside.
As was the case in the first match between the two sides, Galatasaray’s high-intensity game saw it gradually run out of steam and allowed the Germans the space they needed to score.
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Kane first rose high to connect with Kimmich’s free kick in the box before launching the move for the second goal and finishing it at the far post with a simple tap-in in the 86th minute.
Galatasaray cut the deficit in stoppage time but ran out of time to find an equaliser.
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