Harry Kane has scored his second hat-trick of the season to steer Bayern Munich to a 4-1 win at Hoffenheim for the best Bundesliga start any team has made after four rounds.
The England captain scored before the break and converted two penalties after it to take his club tally to an extraordinary 12 goals in six games across all competitions — 13 goals in seven games, including the German Supercup.
Kane's other hat-trick was in the Bundesliga-opening 6-0 rout of Leipzig and Bayern's record of 12 points with a goal difference of plus-15 is the best after four rounds of the Bundesliga since the league began in 1963.
Bayern were fortunate Hoffenheim did not capitalise on their early dominance after coach Vincent Kompany opted to rotate his squad with five changes from the team that defeated Chelsea 3-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday, a game in which Kane scored twice.
Among them, Nicolas Jackson made his first start since his switch from Chelsea, and the 17-year-old Lennart Karl made his first Bundesliga start for Bayern.
Hoffenheim remained the better side until Karl caught their defence by surprise with a corner that Kane ran to meet at the near post to fire Bayern ahead in the 44th.
Kane made it 2-0 with a penalty awarded after Albian Hajdari was penalised for handball, then completed his hat-trick from the spot again after substitute Michael Olise was fouled in the area.
Kane now boasts eight goals in four league games. "Hat-trick Harry was what they used to call me when I was at school," Kane told DAZN.
Elsewhere, RB Leipzig, battered 6-0 at Bayern in their league opener, rose to second after inflicting a first defeat on promoted Cologne with a 3-1 win.
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