Kane scores hat-trick as Bayern beat Stuttgart to win German Cup

BERLIN (AP) — Harry Kane cut through the smoke of the German Cup final with a hat trick for Bayern Munich to beat defending champion Stuttgart 3-0 and complete another domestic double on Saturday.

Kane’s goals in the second half set off fireworks among the Bayern fans who had joined their Stuttgart rivals in protesting against the German soccer federation (DFB) for a planned increase in security measures.

The protests started after the halftime break when the Bayern fans displayed a giant DFB logo with a line drawn through it over a banner with an expletive against the DFB, while their Stuttgart counterparts had a banner calling for “freedom for the terraces.” They both then filled the ends of the stadium with huge pyrotechnic displays, shrouding the field under a cover of smoke.

Kane broke the deadlock shortly afterward with a diving header to Michael Olise’s cross in the 55th minute.

That prompted more fireworks from the Bayern fans, worsening the already poor visibility and leading to a break in play.

Kane struck the crossbar with a thunderous shot before sealing the result in the 80th with a shot inside the bottom corner after being picked out by Luis Díaz.

Angelo Stiller conceded a penalty for hand ball and Kane completed his hat trick from the spot in stoppage time.

Kane finished with 61 goals for Bayern this season, including the cup, league, super cup and Champions League.

They helped Bayern wrap up the Bundesliga title with four rounds to spare.

It was Bayern’s first appearance in the German Cup final since 2020, when it defeated Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 for its previous domestic double.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer