Harry Kane made an impressive debut in Der Klassiker, securing a hat-trick and elevating his Bundesliga goal tally to 15 in 10 matches as Bayern Munich convincingly defeated Borussia Dortmund 4-0 on Saturday.
The English striker opened the scoring with a close-range finish after just nine minutes, following Dayot Upamecano's header that had given Bayern an early lead, with both goals orchestrated by Leroy Sane, according to Reuters.
Dortmund, initially taken aback, showed improvement in the second half. However, Kane added his second goal, securing the victory in the 72nd minute with another close-range effort. To cap off his stellar performance, Kane completed his third hat-trick of the season in stoppage time, showcasing his composure in front of goal.
Kane's achievement is remarkable as he becomes the first player to score 15 goals in his first 10 Bundesliga appearances, now leading this season's scoring charts, one goal ahead of Stuttgart's Serhou Guirassy.
With this victory, defending champions Bayern Munich reached 26 points, just two points behind league leaders Bayer Leverkusen, who had previously triumphed 3-2 over Hoffenheim, thanks to a double from Alex Grimaldo.
Dortmund suffered their first league loss of the season, ending a 25-match unbeaten streak at home, leaving them in fourth place with 21 points.
After faltering on the final day of the previous season, which allowed Bayern to clinch their 11th consecutive title, Dortmund was eager to make a statement against their rivals, with the famous Yellow Wall in full voice before kick-off.
Despite Kane's exceptional performance, Bayern had faced difficulties in recent matches, including a humiliating loss to a third-tier club in the German Cup during the week. Nevertheless, they produced their finest performance of the season, taking control from the very beginning.
Upamecano escaped his marker to head home a close-range header from Sane's delivery. Sane continued to impress, creating opportunities down the left before delivering a low cross that Kane tapped into the net.
Kane also hit the post during Bayern's dominance, while Donyell Malen missed a golden chance to pull one back for Dortmund, sending his shot over the bar just before halftime.
Dortmund regained some control in the second half, but they couldn't pose a significant threat. Kane sealed his brace with a goal from Kingsley Coman's assist, and it was inevitable that he would complete his hat-trick when he was played through by Aleksandar Pavlovic's pass, finishing calmly past Gregor Kobel.