MUNICH, Germany
Harry Kane scored a goal in each half as Bayern Munich beat Lazio 3-0 on Tuesday to reach the Champions League quarterfinals 3-1 on aggregate.
Kane headed Bayern level in
the tie in the 38th minute, cancelling out Lazio's lead from the first leg with
his first Champions League knockout goal in five years.
Thomas Mueller doubled the
hosts' lead with a clever header before half-time and Kane doubled up in the
66th minute, tapping in the rebound from a Leroy Sane shot to seal Bayern's
progress to the next round.
"It was a perfect night
for us," Kane told Amazon Prime.
"Everyone with energy,
all around the pitch, the way we played and created chances and pressed without
the ball -- it was a top, top performance."
Bayern kept their slim hopes
of silverware this season alive while likely giving outgoing coach Thomas
Tuchel a stay of execution until the quarterfinals in April.
Kane recognised the manner of
Tuchel's exit was "unusual" but said "nights like this can
change the season. I'm proud of the boys -- we just have to keep this momentum
up."
The loss snuffed out Lazio's
chance of a first Champions League quarter-final appearance since 1999-2000.
Six-time European champions
Bayern came into Tuesday's match staring down the barrel of a last-16
elimination for just the second time in the past 14 seasons.
Three straight losses
including the 1-0 defeat in the first leg in Rome amounted to Bayern's worst
run since 2015, costing Tuchel his job less than a year after arriving in
Munich.
With Tuchel allowed to keep
the seat warm until the summer, the coach promised to be more
"ruthless".
On Tuesday, he benched
big-money signing Kim Min-jae for Eric Dier, while moving Joshua Kimmich -- a
fixture in midfield for Bayern and Germany -- to right-back.
Bayern pushed Lazio back early
with the fit-again Sane and Jamal Musiala going close.
Scorer of the first leg's only
goal, Ciro Immobile had a golden chance to extend Lazio's lead after a Matthijs
de Ligt mistake on 36 minutes but dragged his header just wide.
The miss would prove costly
with Kane breaking through moments later, heading in a scuffed Raphael
Guerreiro shot to even up the tie.
Mueller, another to see more
game time after the announcement of Tuchel's impending departure, doubled
Bayern's lead in first-half stoppage time, heading in a De Ligt shot in
trademark poacher fashion.
Despite 31 goals in 32 games
since arriving from Spurs in the summer, the German media joked the famously
trophyless Kane had cursed Bayern, in danger of a first season without
silverware since 2012.
The England captain made sure
Bayern stayed in Europe though, turning in from close range after Sane forced a
save from Lazio 'keeper Ivan Provedel, his 33rd goal in as many appearances
this season.
With Lazio striker Immobile
taken off with a knee injury, the visitors looked toothless in attack as Bayern
gently controlled proceedings to take the sting out of the game.
Bayern kept their first clean
sheet in eight games with captain Manuel Neuer equalling the Champions League
record of 57 set by Real Madrid legend Iker Casillas.
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