Bayern Munich ends Bundesliga season with 5:1 rout of Cologne, Kane scores hat-trick
In the match of the final 34th round, champions Bayern Munich crushed Cologne 5:1, with Harry Kane scoring three goals to become the season's top scorer with 36 goals.
Main Event
Bayern Munich put an emphatic end to the 2025/2026 German championship season. In the final 34th round of the Bundesliga, Vincent Kompany's team left Cologne no chance at the Allianz Arena, thrashing the visitors 5:1. The hero of the match was Harry Kane, who recorded a hat-trick and once again confirmed his status as one of the world's finest center-forwards.
The match was officiated by referee Deniz Aytekin, and from the first minutes it was clear that the hosts were determined to end the season in style. Bayern had already secured the title early, but they owed their fans a grand farewell — the team approached the game with full seriousness. After the final whistle, the award ceremony took place, and captain Manuel Neuer lifted the championship "salad bowl" — the trophy for winning the Bundesliga.
Details and Statistics
Match timeline: Bayern Munich vs. Cologne 5:1:
| Minute | Event | Goal Scorer |
|--------|-------|-------------|
| 10' | 1:0 | Harry Kane |
| 13' | 2:0 | Harry Kane |
| 18' | 2:1 | Said El-Mala |
| 22' | 3:1 | Tom Bischof |
| 69' | 4:1 | Harry Kane |
| 83' | 5:1 | Nicolas Jackson |
Already in the 10th minute, Kane opened the scoring with an elegant volley, finishing a cross from the flank. Three minutes later, the Englishman bagged a brace with a direct free kick — the Cologne goalkeeper had no chance. Cologne managed to respond in the 18th minute: Said El-Mala executed a brilliant solo run and reduced the deficit to one. However, the visitors' hopes for a comeback were dashed by Tom Bischof, who scored in the 22nd minute. In the second half, Kane completed his hat-trick in the 69th minute, and Nicolas Jackson put the final nail in the coffin in the 83rd minute.
This hat-trick was Kane's fourth in the concluded Bundesliga season. With 36 goals in 34 league matches, he won the "Torjägerkanone" — the award for the top scorer in the German championship — for the third consecutive time. The closest pursuer, Deniz Undav of Stuttgart, trailed by 17 goals with only 19 strikes. Patrik Schick of Bayer Leverkusen and Serhou Guirassy of Borussia Dortmund rounded out the top scorers with 17 and 16 goals, respectively.
Kane became the first player in Bundesliga history to win the scoring race in each of his first three seasons in the league. Previously, this achievement — three consecutive "cannons" — had only been accomplished by Bayern legend Robert Lewandowski. Since his transfer from Tottenham in 2023, the 32-year-old Englishman has scored 98 goals in just 94 league matches, breaking Dieter Müller's record for the fastest to reach that mark.
Context and Significance
Bayern Munich ended the season with impressive stats: 28 wins, 5 draws, and only 1 loss in 34 rounds. The final tally was 89 points and a second consecutive championship. Kompany's team scored 122 goals over the season, which was one of the key factors in their dominance of the national league.
For Kane, the current campaign has been truly phenomenal: 58 goals in all competitions and a total of 143 goals in 146 matches for Bayern. His scoring prowess has been a crucial element of the team's championship-winning play and once again confirmed that the record transfer fee for the Bundesliga was fully justified.
At the end of the season, the distribution of European competition places is as follows:
- Champions League: Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Stuttgart
- Europa League: Hoffenheim, Bayer Leverkusen
- Conference League: Freiburg (still has a chance for the Champions League by winning the Europa League)
- Relegation play-offs: Wolfsburg
- Relegated: Heidenheim and St. Pauli
The award ceremony after the match against Cologne was particularly touching. Manuel Neuer handed the championship trophy to Leon Goretzka, who is leaving the club at the end of the season — the midfielder was the first to lift the "salad bowl" over his head. Later, Goretzka admitted that he will never forget the moment in front of the south stand of the Allianz Arena.
What's Next / Next Match Preview
The season is not over yet for Bayern Munich. On May 23, Kompany's team will travel to Berlin, where they will play for the DFB-Pokal against Stuttgart — the current trophy holder — at the Olympic Stadium. Munich has not reached the national cup final since 2020 and is determined to avenge last year's failures.
Club CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen has already stated: "We're not done yet. From tomorrow, all attention will be focused on the next task." Winning the DFB-Pokal would allow Bayern to complete a domestic double, and Kane would have a chance to add to his goal tally — 58 goals this season could become 59 or more.
For Goretzka, Neuer, and possibly a few other veterans, this final will be their last match in the Munich jersey. The emotional stakes of the match promise to be sky-high, and the game itself a fitting end to a brilliant season in German football.
— Editorial Team
