Bayern Munich dropped points for the first time this season as they drew 2-2 against Union Berlin on Saturday, away from home.
The Bavarian giants were pedestrian and lacked imagination at times, especially in the second half, possibly due to fatigue after an energy-sapping 2-1 win against PSG in midweek, where they played an entire half with ten men.
Bayern were still able to produce moments of exceptional quality, and that’s how we shift our attention to Luis Diaz, who scored arguably one of the best goals of the league so far.
Luis Diaz: Transfer gamble?
Luis Diaz celebrates his goal
(Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
Let us revisit what happened in the summer transfer window.
Thomas Muller and Leroy Sane left the club as free agents, while Kingsley Coman and Mathys Tel were sold to Al-Nassr and Tottenham Hotspur respectively.
Bayern were reportedly linked with moves for Florian Wirtz, Nico Williams, Nick Woltemade, Cody Gakpo, Gabriele Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Bradley Barcola, Jamie Gittens, among others. Still, they were left with disappointment for the most part.
Frustrations grew among Bayern fans, and Max Eberl came under intense pressure as many felt that the German champions are heading towards a transfer disaster.
Around that time, Bayern identified Diaz as an option and agreed to pay a premium fee of around £58m (€67m) plus bonuses.
Eberl came under heavy criticism as fans expressed doubts about whether the club made the right decision in paying such a high transfer fee for a winger who will turn 30 in two years.
Many feared that Bayern had made the same mistake as they did with signing Sadio Mane from Liverpool. Mane proved to be a disastrous signing for Bayern, and naturally, the comparisons were made even before the former Liverpool winger kicked a ball.
Transfer success? Liverpool made to regret
Diaz became a fan favourite instantly after producing a top performance in the first game, as Bayern won 6-0 against RB Leipzig.
The Colombian has never looked back. He has scored six goals and provided four assists in the Bundesliga and has been involved in creating countless chances.
In the Champions League, Diaz produced a cavalier performance (three goals in the Champions League) in the first half against PSG before he picked up a red card.
Last Saturday, Diaz scored an outrageous goal against Union Berlin, but moments later, he missed an easy sitter. That’s Diaz for you. He is capable of moments of insane brilliance, and then capable of squandering easy chances.
Clearly, Eberl’s decision to sign Diaz has been vindicated.
In hindsight, we can say that Bayern have made Liverpool regret their decision, considering how the Reds have been struggling so far.
The Bavarian giants made a mistake in selling Ryan Gravenberch to Liverpool, but redemption has been achieved with the signing of Diaz.
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