Harry Kane’s Historic Penalty Hat-Trick with ’Four Goals’

Denis Viollet, Ray Crawford, Alan Smith, and Harry Kane. It’s not unusual if the first three names don’t ring a bell. Denis Viollet was one of Manchester United’s famous ‘Busby Babes,’ who miraculously survived the Munich air disaster. ‘Jungle Boy’ Ray Crawford played in English football during the 1950s and 1960s and also represented both Malaysia and England in international matches. Alan Smith played for Arsenal during the 1980s and 1990s and is now a full-time football pundit. As for the fourth player—does he even need an introduction?

Last night, Bayern Munich defeated Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 in the Champions League, with Harry Kane scoring 4 of those 9 goals. This performance has etched Kane’s name in the history books. Kane became the fourth English player in European Cup (now known as the Champions League since 1992) history to score at least four goals in a single match.

There’s no need to repeat the names of the other three—Viollet, Crawford, and Smith.

Viollet scored 4 goals against Belgium’s Anderlecht in the European Cup in 1956. In 1962, Crawford netted 5 goals for Ipswich Town against Floriana. Then, 29 years later in 1991, Smith scored 4 goals against Austria Vienna. Now, 33 years later, Kane has repeated this remarkable feat.

Out of Kane's 4 goals, three came from penalties. According to Opta Joe, a football statistics company, Kane is the first player in the history of the European Cup and the Champions League to score a hat-trick of penalties in a single match. UEFA also noted that Kane became the 20th player in Champions League history to score 4 goals in one match. Additionally, the Bayern star set a new record for the highest number of Champions League goals by an English player, surpassing Wayne Rooney with 33 goals.

Speaking to DAZN Sports after the match, Kane said, "It was an incredible match, absolutely crazy. Scoring so many goals made the night fantastic. After my second goal, I wasn’t sure how I would get the third, but fortunately, I managed to score." On scoring 3 goals from penalties, Kane remarked, "This is the first time I’ve scored three penalties in a single match. It’s not something that happens very often."