Harry Kane fired a blank as Bayern Munich lost away to Bayer Leverkusen (Picture: Getty)
A ‘disappointed’ Harry Kane said Bayern Munich’s players must look to regroup and ‘focus on ourselves’ after suffering a crushing 3-0 defeat at the hands of Bundesliga title rivals Bayer Leverkusen.
The match represented a huge opportunity for the champions to make up ground on league leaders Leverkusen, but Xabi Alonso’s side struck the first blow through Josip Stanisic – currently on loan from Bayern – in the 18th minute at a rapturous BayArena.
Alex Grimaldo netted from a tight angle to double Leverkusen’s advantage shortly after the break and Jeremie Frimpong put the icing on the cake at the death to consign Bayern to their third loss of the campaign.
The result means Leverkusen preserved their extraordinary unbeaten record in the German top flight this term and Alonso’s men now hold a five-point lead over their rivals.
Kane scored his 24th league goal of the season in Bayern’s 3-1 win over Borussia Monchengladbach last weekend, but the England captain cut a frustrated figure for much of Saturday’s top-of-the-table encounter.
‘We didn’t play well with the ball,’ the former Tottenham striker told Sky Sports shortly after the final whistle.
‘I thought the pressure, especially in the first half and even in the second half, we pressed them well, but every time we won it back we gave it straight back to them. That allowed them to build momentum.
Grimaldo squeezed the ball past Neuer to double the hosts’ lead (Picture: Getty)
‘In the final third we weren’t good in one-vs-one battles, we weren’t good in duels, the final delivery wasn’t there today, so a really disappointing day with the ball.
‘We’re five points behind now but there are still a lot of games to go. This one hurts, we wanted a different outcome, but we have to focus on, first, the Champions League, and obviously the next game.
‘There are a lot of games to be played and we have to try and make up as many points as we can, as quickly as we can.’
The champions are now five points adrift of leaders Leverkusen (Picture: Getty)
Despite Leverkusen’s five-point advantage at the top of the Bundesliga, Kane refused to concede that Alonso’s side were now favourites for the title.
‘That’s not for us to decide. That’s for everyone else to decide,’ he said.
‘For us, we have to focus on ourselves, we have to improve, we have to get better. We know that.
‘The games are coming thick and fast so we have to turn it around quick.’
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The Three Lions skipper insisted Bayern’s decision to loan Stanisic to Leverkusen wasn’t the reason they lost the match.
‘The club made a decision at the start of the season and it is what it is. He’s a good player and I trained a few times with him,’ he added.
‘That wasn’t the reason we lost the game. We lost because we weren’t good enough on the ball.’
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