The Result Has A Second Meaning
Harry Kane's remarkable penalty record in the Bundesliga has ended at 24 after the Bayern Munich striker missed a spot kick for the first time during Saturday's match against Wolfsburg.
Kane stepped up at 0-0 after teammate Michael Olise was fouled by defender Konstantinos Koulierakis. The England captain appeared to slip slightly as he approached the ball and his shot went wide of the right post.
Bayern still secured a 1-0 victory thanks to a spectacular curling goal from Olise that struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced in. Wolfsburg's Mattias Svanberg hit the bar in the 89th minute with only the goalkeeper to beat.
The miss ended a run that dated back to Kane's arrival at Bayern in 2023. He had scored 10 of his 24 Bundesliga penalties this season alone, and across all competitions had failed to convert three penalties — one saved by Wehen Wiesbaden's Florian Stritzel in the German Cup and another hitting the crossbar against Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League.
Kane's streak is the kind of record that quietly becomes part of a player's identity until it doesn't. That it ended on an uncharacteristic slip rather than a world-class save makes it feel less like a fall and more like a reminder.
The Part Worth Keeping
Elsewhere, Leipzig sealed a return to the Champions League with a 2-1 win over St. Pauli. Xaver Schlager bundled in a loose ball just before halftime and Willi Orban headed in shortly after the break. St. Pauli pulled one back through Abdoulie Ceesay's 86th-minute header, but the damage was done.
Stuttgart moved into the fourth Champions League spot with a 3-1 comeback win over Bayer Leverkusen. Deniz Undav's 19th league goal capped the comeback after Ermedin Demirovic had leveled and Maximilian Mittelstädt converted a penalty.
At the bottom, Wolfsburg remains 16th and in relegation danger, with the club having last played outside the top division in 1997. The club visits 17th-placed St. Pauli next Saturday in the final round. A Wolfsburg loss means relegation; a draw keeps them up. St. Pauli must win.
Hoffenheim climbed to fifth with a 1-0 win over Werder Bremen after Yukinari Sugawara received a fifth-minute red card for a reckless challenge. Bazoumana Toure scored the only goal. Augsburg boosted Conference League hopes with a 3-1 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach.