Harry Kane scored a hat trick as Bayern Munich beat defending champion Stuttgart 3-0 to win the DFB-Pokal final. His second-half goals came amid major fan protests over planned DFB security changes, with pyrotechnics and smoke repeatedly disrupting play.
BERLIN — The smoke didn’t come from the pitch. It hung over it.
In the German Cup final on Saturday. Harry Kane cut through the chaos for Bayern Munich. scoring a hat trick in a 3-0 win against defending champions Stuttgart. The victory sealed another domestic double for Bayern. while the stadium’s atmosphere was already strained by protests directed at the German soccer federation (DFB) over a planned increase in security measures.
Those protests erupted right after halftime. Bayern fans unfurled a giant DFB logo crossed out over a banner carrying an expletive against the DFB. while Stuttgart supporters answered with a banner calling for “freedom for the terraces.” Both groups then flooded the ends of the stadium with huge pyrotechnic displays. shrouding the field in smoke and worsening visibility.
Kane finally broke the deadlock in the 55th minute, heading in from close range with a diving header to Michael Olise’s cross. The goal sparked more fireworks from the Bayern end, and the situation deteriorated quickly enough to force a break in play.
Bayern pressed their advantage. Kane struck the crossbar with a thunderous shot before the match was effectively finished in the 80th minute. He converted Luis Díaz’s delivery, firing into the bottom corner to make it 3-0.
Stuttgart’s last moment of resistance came when Angelo Stiller conceded a penalty for handball. Kane stepped up and completed his hat trick from the spot in stoppage time.
The numbers made the day feel even more complete for Bayern. Kane ended the season with 61 goals for Bayern, including the cup, league, super cup and Champions League. He also played a key role in Bayern wrapping up the Bundesliga title with four rounds to spare.
For Stuttgart, there was no answer to the striker who had already become the central figure in Bayern’s march toward another trophy haul. For Bayern, it marked their first appearance in the German Cup final since 2000, when they beat Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 to claim the previous domestic double.
Harry Kane Bayern Munich Stuttgart DFB-Pokal German Cup final Bundesliga double Michael Olise Luis Díaz Angelo Stiller Berlin