Harry Kane scored three goals for the first time for Bayern Munich on Saturday afternoon.
So, this was his first hat-trick for the German champions after his summer move from Tottenham Hotspur, right? Well, not exactly.
None of the goals were disallowed, none of them were assigned to other players in retrospect, and the record will show a treble next to Kane’s name in the 7-0 win over Bochum.
But it will still not be seen as a hat-trick for Kane within Germany.
Want to know why? The Athletic’s Bundesliga expert Raphael Honigstein explains…
Why was it not a hat-trick as far as Germans are concerned?
For reasons strange and unknown, hat-tricks, just like German beer, are subject to extra-strict criteria of purity in the Bundesliga. They need to be “lupenrein” — literally: flawless under the microscope — to qualify.
Kane netted in the 12th, 54th and 88th minutes but the three goals need to be scored in the same half, the Bundesliga’s official dictionary explains. The German “Hattrick” should “not be confused with the standard English definition of the term” they add sternly.
That seems overly parsimonious.
You’d think so. But if anything, the regulations seem to have been relaxed in recent years. It used to be the case that only three uninterrupted goals were considered “lupenrein”, as this bundesliga.com article from 10 years ago illustrates.
Standards are clearly slipping.
So what do Germans call three goals that aren’t a “Hattrick”?
They call it a “Dreierpack”, a three-pack, like a set of three beers you can pick up at a shop.
It always comes back to beer in Germany, as Kane will find out today. He’ll attend Oktoberfest, the annual festival of Bavarian culture (that starts, somewhat confusingly, in September this year) with the team this Sunday lunch.
(Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Read more: Premier League hat-tricks: A history of the good, the bad and the lucky
How has Kane been performing for Bayern?
Any concerns that Kane would not hit the ground running for Bayern have been put aside.
While he did not score in the German Super Cup, when he made his debut, this is only one of two games in which Kane has not hit the back of the net since pulling on the red of Bayern.
His Bundesliga debut saw him score in the 4-0 win over Werder Bremen, while he also struck twice against Augsburg in his second match.
Further goals followed in the wins over Bayer Leverkusen and the Champions League victory against Manchester United in midweek.
Bayern demolished Bochum on Saturday afternoon, beating them by seven goals, with Kane hitting three.
How are Bayern doing in the Bundesliga?
They are top of the division, having not lost a single game.
Bayern are on 13 points, having been held to a single draw in their five matches so far.
There are three teams just a point behind them — Stuttgart, RB Leipzig and Hoffenheim — with all three having lost a match.
Is there anything else I need to know?
Yes, in a sense. As mentioned above, Kane will be attending Oktoberfest with his Bayern team-mates on Sunday — as is a club tradition. The expectation is for players to wear Lederhosen (traditional leather breeches, like Thomas Muller below) when they do.
Thomas and Lisa Muller at Oktoberfest in September 2022 (Photo: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images for Paulaner)
When Kane first joined Bayern and was asked about wearing Lederhosen, he said that he “wasn’t aware that it was mandatory”.
But head coach Thomas Tuchel confirmed that his star striker would be donning the traditional outfit after the win over Bochum.
He said: “If I have to wear Lederhosen, then he has to.
“At least he has some calves to keep him warm. I don’t have those. He won’t be getting around that [requirement] tomorrow.”
(Top photo: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
