Koreans in Europe: Bayern Munich thrash Mainz 8-1 in Korean derby that wasn't

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Koreans in Europe: Bayern Munich thrash Mainz 8-1 in Korean derby that wasn't

Published: 10 Mar. 2024, 07:38 Updated: 10 Mar. 2024, 18:15

JIM BULLEY
jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr

Munich's Harry Kane celebrates scoring during a Bundesliga match against Mainz in Munich, Germany on Saturday. [EPA/YONHAP]

Harry Kane scored a hat-trick to lead Bayern Munich to a huge 8-1 win over Mainz in a Korean derby that never was on Saturday as Kim Min-jae and Lee Jae-sung were never actually on the pitch at the same time in Munich, Germany.

Lee started for Mainz in a game the visitors would probably rather forget. Bayern struck first and fast, Kane breaking the ice in he 13th minute and Leon Goretzka adding No. 2 in the 19th.

The next goal came from Mainz’s Nadiem Amiri in the 31st minute, with Kane adding one more in stoppage time to go into the break with Munich up 3-1.

Munich doubled down after the break, Thomas Muller, Jama Musiala and Serge Gnabry scoring three more in the first 20 minutes before Kane completed his hat-trick in the 70th and Goretzka added a second in stoppage time.

Kim was on by the end of the rout, substituted in for Eric Dier in the 75th minute, but Lee had already been taken off 10 minutes earlier.

Bayern Munich's Kim Min-jae during the warm up before the match. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Saturday’s hat-trick was Kane’s fourth in the Bundesliga this season, making him the first player ever to score four hat-tricks in their debut campaign.

Kane now has 30 goals in the league this season, potentially putting Robert Lewandowski’s all-time record of 41 goals in a Bundesliga season within his reach.

With the win, Bayern reman in second place on the Bundesliga table behind Leverkusen, who have a comfortable seven-point lead with a game in hand. At the other end of the table, Mainz sit 17th our of 18 team, in the relegation zone with just 16 points in 25 games.

Bayern will be back in action next Saturday as they take on last-place Darmstadt in the Bundesliga, with Mainz facing VfL Bochum on the same day.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]