Harry Kane urges Bayern to build momentum after reaching Champions League quarter-finals

England striker scores twice as German giants overturn first-leg deficit with 3-0 win at Allianz Arena

Soccer Football - Champions League - Round of 16 - Second Leg - Bayern Munich v Lazio - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - March 5, 2024 Bayern Munich's Harry Kane celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS / Angelika Warmuth TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Harry Kane scores Bayern's third goal during the Champions League match against Lazio. AP

Harry Kane begins to celebrate after scoring Bayern's third goal against Lazio. AP

Harry Kane shields the ball from Lazio player Matias Vecino. Getty Images

Harry Kane scores the opening goal past Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel. AFP

Bayern players celebrate with Harry Kane after the opening goal against Lazio. AP

Thomas Muller scores to give Bayern a 2-0 lead against Lazio. Reuters

Thomas Muller celebrates his goal against Lazio. Getty Images

Bayern forward Leroy Sane of Bayern Munich is challenged by Lazio defender Mario Gila. Getty Images

Bayern midfielder Jamal Musiala attempts to retain the ball under pressure from Lazio's Matias Vecino and Felipe Anderson. AFP

Bayern Munich players celebrate in front of the fans after beating Lazio to advance to the quarter-finals. AFP

Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel celebrates the victory over Lazio. EPA

Harry Kane has urged Bayern Munich to use their Champions League last-16 victory over Lazio on Tuesday night to build some momentum for the rest of the season.

England striker Kane was the star at the Allianz Arena as Bayern overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit, scoring in each half either side of Thomas Muller's goal to send the German giants through to the quarter-finals.

“It was a perfect night for us,” Kane, 30, 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.”

The Champions League represents Bayern's best chance of silverware this season amid a disappointing domestic campaign by their standards. Second in the Bundesliga, Bayern trail leaders Bayer Leverkusen by 10 points with 10 games to go having been knocked out of the German Cup by third-tier Saarbrucken.

The win over Lazio also earns departing Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel a stay of execution. It has been announced that Tuchel will leave the club at the end of the season, although there had been reports he could be sacked sooner if Bayern failed to get past Lazio.

“It's the most difficult trophy to win in Europe, probably the world,” Tuchel, who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021, told reporters. “But it doesn't get any easier or more difficult if you have a long contract or if you're leaving at the end of the season.”

Kane recognised the manner of Tuchel's imminent exit was “unusual” but said, “nights like this can change the season … we just have to keep this momentum up.”

Speaking to reporters after the victory while holding the man-of-the-match trophy, Kane said he hoped it was “a turning point for the rest of the year”.

“If we perform like that in most games we're going to come out with a victory. It was a pleasing day,” said the England captain, who has scored 33 goals for Bayern in his debut season. “It's been a good season so far in terms of the goals but as a team we know we can do better.

“I'm trying to help that situation, the team are trying to help that situation, and I hope we can use this as a turning point to push on in the Bundesliga and see if we can put pressure on Leverkusen – and see who we can get in the next round of the Champions League.”

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 13 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.

Bayern pushed Lazio back early with the fit-again Leroy 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.

Muller, who has seen 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.

Kane then made sure Bayern stayed in Europe, turning in from close range after Sane forced a save from Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel, his 33rd goal in as many appearances this season.

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.

Mbappe fires PSG into quarter-finals

In Tuesday's other match, Kylian Mbappe scored twice to lead Paris Saint-Germain into the quarter-finals with a 2-1 win away to Real Sociedad to wrap up a 4-1 aggregate victory.

Bidding to win their first Champions League title, a disciplined PSG made the most of their chances from counter-attacks, with the lightning fast Mbappe a constant menace.

Mbappe enjoyed an inspired night and his speed and agility were too much for the hosts' defence to handle. He was virtually unstoppable down left channel and Tuesday's brace means he has scored 11 of PSG's last 15 Champions League knockout goals.

“We knew right away that we couldn’t go to sleep. If they had opened the scoring, they would have pushed on with their fans’ backing,” Mbappe told Canal Plus. “We had to dampen their hopes early on. That’s what we did, and we’re very happy to be back in the quarter-finals.”

Mbappe created a couple of opportunities early on before scoring the opener with a fabulous curling strike in the 15th minute.

After receiving a long pass from Ousmane Dembele, he surged into the box, darting in from the by-line and feigning to shoot, before shifting the ball out of his feet again and creating just enough space to fire a curling effort into the far corner.

The goal silenced a sold-out Reale Arena, who were seemingly stunned by the vision and technique of the France captain, who had a similar effort later denied by keeper Alex Remiro.

But Mbappe scored again in the 56th minute as he took a Lee Kang-in through ball in his stride before bursting into the box and beating the goalkeeper at his near post.

Sociedad tried to make a late push but were first denied by the post from a Martin Zubimendi strike and then by keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma who made a fine reflex save to deny Benat Turrientes from close range.

Mikel Merino finally netted a consolation goal in the 89th minute with a deflected strike, but it was too little too late to prevent PSG from reaching the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in three years.