Harry Kane missed the first penalty kick of his Bundesliga career on Saturday – but he’s got the perfect excuse for failing to create history. The 32-year-old was presented with the golden chance to open the deadlock in the eventual 1-0 win away at Wolfsburg in the 36th minute. Kane failed to hit the target from 12 yards out in Bayern’s clash against WolfsburgGetty It would have been his 25th successive spot-kick since making the move to Germany from Tottenham Hotspur in 2023. And he would have also fired in his 11th penalty this term, which would have written his name in the history books, as well as grabbing his 56th strike for the Bavarian giants in all competitions. He currently is the joint-record holder for most converted penalties [ten] in a single Bundesliga season – tied with ex-Bayern star Paul Breitner – who achieved the feat in the 1980/81 campaign. Kane you believe it? But the England skipper skied his attempt high and wide when looking for the top right corner after slipping as he planted his standing foot. The striker immediately looked down at the spot. And he was right to do so. New footage shown from the VAR review of the penalty clearly sees Wolfsburg centre-back Jeanuel Belocian stamping on the spot – not once – but twice. Speaking to Bild after the match, the France youth international was pressed as to whether he deliberately attempted to sabotage Kane. To which he simply stated: “Yes, that was easy.” His teammate Patrick Wimmer was thankful for the 21-year-old’s actions, which kept them in the game as they battle to stay in the division. Belocian’s actions may have been the reason for Kane missing a rare penaltyReddit Kane instantly looked to the penalty spot after slipping as he took the shotGetty He told Sky Sport Germany: “These are the sort of dirty little tricks you might have to resort to sometimes when you’re down there. “Whether that’s why it happened to Harry Kane, we don’t know, maybe it was down to his boots.” Bayern starlet Tom Bischof was left incensed by the stamp – deeming Belocian’s behaviour as unacceptable. He said: “I know Wolfsburg are battling relegation, but that action was unnecessary. Fair play should always apply, even when the stakes are high.” Though Bayern boss Vincent Kompany took a more level-headed approach, insisting he understands why Belocian did what he did. The Manchester City legend stated: “What do you expect them to do? Should they just clap when we score a goal? Kane has scored all of his 25 previous penalties before his miss at WolfsburgGetty “Should they just get relegated without giving it their all? “That the Wolfsburg player did that? Of course he shouldn’t have done it. But I can understand it too.” Thankfully for Kane – and Bayern – they walked away with the three points after Michael Olise’s 56th minute stunner from range. Bayern’s final Bundesliga game of the season comes next weekend against FC Koln [Cologne], before they battle Stuttgart in the DFB-Pokal final. As for Wolfsburg, the defeat leaves them in 16th spot and on course for a two-legged play-off tie against the third-placed team from Bundesliga 2 – which is currently Hannnover 96. But they will be relegated if they lose to St Pauli in their next fixture, with their upcoming opponents sitting in 17th place and only behind on goal difference.
Bayer Leverkusen captain Robert Andrich criticised the team’s character after their 3-1 defeat by Stuttgart, conceding “we have too few people standing together”. Leverkusen’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League were severely dented at MHPArena, where the hosts came from behind to tighten their grip on fourth place in the Bundesliga. Die Werkself, […] The post ´We have too few people standing together´ – Andrich bemoans Leverkusen character after Stuttgart lo appeared first on Soccer News.
Canada addressed the injury suffered by Alphonso Davies just over a month before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Alarm bells rang in Canada on Friday after it was confirmed that Alphonso Davies suffered an injury while playing for Bayern Munich. The issue will require several weeks of recovery, putting his return date dangerously close to the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. “Alphonso Davies suffered a muscle injury in his left hamstring during Wednesday’s Champions League semifinal second leg against Paris Saint-Germain, as confirmed by an examination by the FC Bayern medical unit,” the German side announced in a statement published on its official website on Friday. The left-back had started the match against PSG on the bench and entered in the 67th minute in place of Josip Stanisic. Shortly after coming on, he assisted Harry Kane for Bayern Munich’s equalizer, although it was not enough to prevent elimination. During his nearly half-hour on the field, Davies also picked up the injury that has now sidelined him. “The Canada international will therefore be out of action for several weeks,” the statement added. While that does not provide an exact timetable for Davies’ return, it does offer some indication of what could happen in the near future. Alphonso Davies suffered a muscle injury in the back of his left thigh during the semifinal second leg against Paris Saint-Germain and will therefore be out for several weeks.We wish you a speedy recovery, Phonzy ❤️🩹🔗 https://t.co/BqawKk0wvr pic.twitter.com/fq2n6VNMXT— FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) May 8, 2026 Bayern Munich still have two Bundesliga matches remaining this season, although they carry little significance with the title already secured. The situation is different for the May 23 clash against Stuttgart, where Bayern will compete for the DFB-Pokal title. However, it seems difficult to imagine Davies being fully recovered in time for that match. Canada respond to Alphonso Davies injury News of Davies’ injury resonated not only in Germany, but naturally in Canada as well. “We’re behind you, Captain,” began the message shared by the national team Friday on its official X account. “We are in close contact with Alphonso and remain in touch with Bayern’s medical team following his recent setback.” We’re behind you, Captain 🇨🇦We are in close contact with Alphonso and remain in touch with Bayern’s medical team following his recent setback. Our focus is on supporting his recovery and providing every available resource, including specialized soft tissue expertise, to give… pic.twitter.com/XGPpKsorSP— CANMNT (@CANMNT_Official) May 8, 2026 Regarding the next steps, Canada explained: “Our focus is on supporting his recovery and providing every available resource, including specialized soft tissue expertise, to give him the best possible pathway back to full fitness ahead of the FIFA World Cup.” Canada will open their 2026 World Cup campaign on Friday, June 12, against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the first Group B match at BMO Field in Toronto. That gives Alphonso Davies more than a month to regain full fitness and arrive at the tournament in optimal condition.
Five teams are fighting for Bundesliga survival with two rounds remaining while Stuttgart and Bayer Leverkusen are level before their high stakes Champions League qualification duel. Hoffenheim also is making it a three-team race for fourth place and the last guaranteed qualification spot for the Champions League. Germany may yet get five Champions League qualification spots depending on Freiburg’s international success.
Positions fourth to sixth are separated by goal difference as Hoffenheim rue being out of the Champions League spots“This is perhaps the most difficult moment of my career.” It was not, it is fair to say, what Andrei Kramaric had expected on a day – and a week – that was going along like a dream. Two days after he had extended his expiring contract for two years at “my second home”, Hoffenheim’s all-time record scorer had dragged them even closer to a surprise return to the Champions League, scoring goals 157 and 158 for the club on a sunny afternoon with the mood of celebration in the air, as they dominated direct rivals Stuttgart. But in the 95th minute, up popped the visitors’ Tiago Tomás out of nowhere to shatter it all. In the race for the top four in the Bundesliga, life comes at you fast.One could understand Kramaric’s difficulties in absorbing what had just happened. When he left the field in stoppage time to the warm applause of the PreZero Arena Hoffenheim were in fourth position, the (likely) final Champions League spot which they have worked so hard to recover in recent weeks after a big wobble either side of Easter. By the time that the Croatia striker got comfy on the bench his team had seen their lead improbably evaporate, and when he sat down for dinner they were in sixth, following Bayer Leverkusen’s 4-1 demolition of RB Leipzig in the early evening Topspiel. Continue reading...
