Kane, Bayern mark Neuer's return with 8-0 destruction of Darmstadt

Hat-trick hero Harry Kane scored a goal from inside his own half as Bayern Munich thrashed promoted side Darmstadt 8-0 on Manuel Neuer's return to Bundesliga action on Saturday.

Kane lobbed goalkeeper Marcel Schuhen from the centre circle to score Bayern's fifth and his second as Bayern tore Darmstadt apart on a rollercoaster afternoon for the champions.

"I'm going home a very happy man today," said veteran keeper Neuer, who made his first appearance after almost a year out with a broken leg.

Yet Neuer's return began in the worst possible way for Bayern.

In a game which saw three red cards before half-time for the first time in Bundesliga history, Joshua Kimmich was the first to go for an early bath.

The Bayern midfielder was sent off for bringing down Marvin Mehlem in front of goal after he lost the ball too easily in front of goal.

"It was a stupid red card and I'm very annoyed," said Kimmich, who will now miss Bayern's clash with Borussia Dortmund next weekend.

Darmstadt's hopes of a famous win were dashed just 17 minutes later, when Klaus Gjasula was given a somewhat harsh red card for tripping Bayern's Konrad Laimer on the edge of the area.

The visitors then went down to nine men just before half-time after Matej Maglica was sent off for an almost identical challenge on Kane.

Leroy Sane had a goal ruled out for offside shortly before the break, but Bayern burst out of the blocks in the second half with seven goals in 25 minutes.

Kane finally broke the deadlock with a low header form close range, before Sane doubled the lead with a tap-in moments later.

Jamal Musiala and Sane then put the game beyond Darmstadt's reach with two elegant long-range finishes in quick succession.

Kane delivered the cherry on the cake with his long-range screamer, before Thomas Mueller and Musiala added a sixth and a seventh.

"It was an incredible goal," said Kimmich of Kane's strike.

The England captain scored his third just two minutes from time, completing his second hat-trick in nine Bundesliga games this season.