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Harry Kane scored his 24th league goal of the season as Bayern Munich romped to a 4-0 win at Heidenheim on Saturday, moving the German giants ever closer to the Bundesliga title.

Kane joined Konrad Laimer, Kingsley Coman and Joshua Kimmich on the scoresheet.

The victory took Bayern nine points clear of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, who play at St Pauli on Sunday.

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“It was a very important step towards the title,” Kimmich told Sky Germany.

“We’re now nine points ahead — and Leverkusen have to win. But we’re not really looking at them. We have to win at least two more games to secure the title. ”

Stung by Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final elimination at Inter Milan, Bayern were ruthless. Kane, still seeking a first team trophy of his career, took the ball on the turn and lashed home with 12 minutes gone.

The England captain, who joined Bayern in the summer of 2023, now has 60 goals in his first 60 Bundesliga games.

Seven minutes later, Laimer latched onto a clever Serge Gnabry pass and clipped the ball past Heidenheim goalkeeper Kevin Mueller.

Coman was on hand to tap in after Mueller saved a shot from Raphael Guerreiro on 36 minutes. Kimmich then cut the ball into the corner from a Guerreiro pass with 56 minutes gone, sealing the result with just his second goal in his 46th game for Bayern this season.

Bayern could clinch what would be their 34th German title as early as next week if results go their way.

Eight-goal thriller in Berlin

In Saturday’s late game, Union Berlin guaranteed first-division football for next season in a 4-4 home draw against Stuttgart.

All eight goals were scored in the opening half, the first time in Bundesliga history so many goals had been scored before the break.

Union went two goals up when Andrej Ilic and Diogo Leite scored from set-pieces, but Stuttgart hit back to level at 2-2 through Deniz Undav and Enzo Millot.

Union again hit the lead thanks to a stunning long-range strike from Leopold Querfeld, before Stuttgart’s Jeff Chabot and Chris Fuehrich scored two in three minutes and Ilic struck again in first-half stoppage time to level the scores.

No goals were scored after half-time, meaning the all-time German record of 12 goals in one game remained intact.

RB Leipzig’s top-four hopes took a hit with a 1-1 home draw against last-placed Holstein Kiel.

Japanese striker Shuto Machino put the visitors in front a minute before half-time, with Leipzig equalising from the spot through Benjamin Sesko with 74 minutes gone when Lois Openda was felled in the box.

Openda looked to have scored with a curling, long-range effort with 13 minutes remaining, but the Belgian was flagged for offside.

Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi collided with Kiel’s Steven Skrzybski midway through the second half and was stretchered from the field.

Mainz however failed to take advantage of Leipzig’s struggles, drawing 2-2 at home against Wolfsburg despite leading for most of the match.

Wolfsburg veteran Maximilian Arnold gave his side the lead after just three minutes but Mainz wrestled control back with two goals in four first-half minutes through Lee Jae-sung and Dominik Kohr.

Denis Vavro headed Wolfsburg level in the final minute, denting Mainz’s chance of a first-ever Champions League qualification in their history.

Freiburg also boosted their European hopes with a 3-2 win over Hoffenheim, with Lucas Hoeler scoring a brace.

Freiburg sit fifth, a point behind Leipzig and one ahead of Mainz, in sixth.

Werder Bremen beat Bochum 1-0 thanks to a goal from Mitchell Weiser, helping their own European chances while deepening their opponents’ relegation woes.

Bochum, who have beaten Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund this season, sit second to last and are nine points from safety with four games remaining.

Manchester City bolstered their bid to qualify for the Champions League with a dramatic 2-0 win at Everton, while Southampton’s last-gasp equaliser at West Ham ensured they will not have sole possession of the lowest points total in Premier League history.

City were heading towards a damaging draw before Nico O’Reilly’s 84th minute strike put them on course for a vital victory that was sealed by Mateo Kovacic’s goal in the final seconds.

Pep Guardiola’s side climb to fourth place, four points ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea, who face Fulham on Sunday in their game in hand.

Fifth-placed Nottingham Forest, who travel to Tottenham on Monday, are one point adrift of City.

At a stage of the season when they are usually embroiled in a battle to win the title, City — champions in six of the previous seven campaigns — have been reduced to scrapping for a Champions League berth after a dismal season.

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They remain on course to achieve their bare minimum target after a hard-fought success on Merseyside.

In the 84th minute, Matheus Nunes’s low cross into the six-yard box was met by the 20-year-old O’Reilly, who got in front of Michael Keane to poke home from close range.

O’Reilly has emerged as an unlikely hero for City after the Manchester-born midfielder scored last week in the win against Crystal Palace and netted twice against Plymouth in the FA Cup.

Kovacic wrapped up City’s victory on their last visit to Goodison Park before Everton move to a new stadium next season.

The Croatian guided Ilkay Gundogan’s pass into the bottom corner to give City a third win from their last four league games.

“To win here at Goodison Park, where Liverpool and Arsenal couldn’t, is massively important,” Guardiola said.

“Now it is in our hands. Three games at home, two away and hopefully we can achieve this big success to qualify for the Champions League. ”

– Saints Consolation –

Relegated Southampton rescued a 1-1 draw at West Ham to guarantee they won’t have the indignity of being the lone club with the Premier League’s worst ever points tally.

Jarrod Bowen struck for the Hammers in the 47th minute, holding off Ryan Manning before lashing a fierce finish past Aaron Ramsdale.

But Lesley Ugochukwu equalised three minutes into second half stoppage-time as he lashed past Alphonse Areola.

Bottom of the table Southampton are now on 11 points — the same number Derby managed in 2007-08 — and have five games left to leave the Rams with the lowest total ever recorded in the Premier League.

Brentford beat 10-man Brighton 4-2 to damage the Seagulls’ prospects of qualifying for Europe with their first home win since December.

Thomas Frank’s side took a ninth minute lead when Lewis Keane-Potter’s precise pass through the heart of the Brighton defence picked out Bryan Mbeumo and he confidently slotted home

Danny Welbeck hauled Brighton level in first half stoppage-time with a powerful header from Mats Wieffer’s cross.

Mbeumo restored Brentford’s advantage three minutes after half-time, his strike taking a hefty deflection off Brighton defender Lewis Dunk on its way past Bart Verbruggen.

Yoane Wissa bagged Brentford’s third in the 58th minute, running onto Mbeumo’s pass and finishing with the help of a deflection off Jan Paul van Hecke.

Brighton striker Joao Pedro was sent off in the 61st minute for a needless kick at Nathan Collins.

Japan forward Kaoru Mitoma reduced the deficit in the 81st minute, but Christian Norgaard headed home in stoppage-time to end Brighton’s hopes of a late escape.

Crystal Palace held on for a 0-0 draw against Bournemouth despite playing half the match with 10 men.

Palace were reduced to 10 men just before half-time at Selhurst Park when Chris Richards was sent off for a second booking after the defender fouled Justin Kluivert.

Third-placed Newcastle will look to step up their Champions League qualification surge when they travel to Aston Villa in Saturday’s late game.