Luis Diaz called it 'a spectacular night' when he scored what turned out to be an important second goal when Bayern Munich held to beat VFB Stuttgart 2-1 in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup. It was the perfect illustration why Bayern wanted him.
The reimbursement paid to Liverpool this summer could rise to £ 64.7 million and who may look a bit thick for a winger who will be 29 in January 29. But when Diaz went on his way to go home, it was a small glimpse of what the Colombian adds to this Bayern side.
At first glance, Bayern had an abundance of fine options that they could rotate in the wide areas last season. Since the supporters are used to seeing such a quality in those positions, the beam is high for Diaz to impress the Bundesliga champions.
But dig a little deeper and there is hope that he can make a difference if it matters the most. For example, while Kingsley Coman, now of Al Nassr, found the net nine times last season, each of those goals came into victories that did not really require him to score.
The aggregate in those matches was 36-2.
Leroy Sane, who left for Galatasaray, scored two goals against St Pauli in a 3-2 victory, but that was the only match that Bayern won directly because of his goals. Diaz has already proved decisive and, as Harry Kane explains, that is what he is able to bring this team.
He asks Kane after the game, he said: “I think you can see what he brings one-V-one to the wing. Really sharp, really agile. I think his biggest asset, and probably what will be great for us this year, is the fact that he scores goals as he did today.”
Kane added: “He comes in that six-year box, he makes those runs and he has a great finish. I think it is important, especially in this modern football, for the wing players to hopefully score 15 to 20 goals per season. The goal was a great finish.”
The captain of England continued: “He had a few others where he was unlucky in the game. For him it will be a lot of confidence. Scoring in your first competitive game for a new club is great and that the winning goal is a perfect start for him.”
Kane was of course denied that perfect start on his own Bayern debut two summers ago when he was pushed into a super cup on a home floor that ended in a 3-0 defeat against RB Leipzig. His transfer was only completed in the early hours of that morning.
After thinking in Stuttgart at the end of the night, Kane now describes it all as “a bit of a whirlwind” and “a crazy 24 hours” – but the fall -out lasted longer. The robbed Bayern from Momentum and they have imposed the title for the first time in 11 years.
Musiala and Muller are void to fill
“It is important to have that momentum to start the year,” he says now. It feels particularly key after a disappointing club world cup, in which Jamal Musiala was seriously injured and the most important dressing room figure Thomas Muller said his emotional farewell.
Kane admits that the players still get used to life without the latter. “He only really left last week. We have to look ahead, we have to go on. He was a big character, but that gives other people opportunities to perform and be that leader, to be that person.”
There is no choice. The requirements at Bayern are ruthless. “We celebrate every trophy as it is the first and we will continue to the next one.” That means that you want to keep the Bundesliga title before you reach their ultimate ambition to win the Champions League.
“We will be one of the favorites. PSG, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Man City, Liverpool, all the big teams will have that trophy in the eye. But as we know, there is a long journey from now on to that final. Step by step we try to move in the right direction.”
Diaz Work Ethic can help Bayern
That striving for the Champions League is the main reason why Diaz is in Bavaria. It is not to be denied that Bayern has been proven that they are able to punish weaker opposition under Vincent Kompany, but there are still question marks against the stronger sides.
They were beaten out of the cup by Bayer Leverkusen and defeated by Barcelona long before they led them out of the Champions League. They pulled two classikers against Borussia Dortmund and lost both Club World Cup matches against European opposition.
There is a suspicion that they have to increase the working speed if they have to come at the top of those games, so that energy is added on and next to the ball. It was interesting that although Diaz was clearly still at speed, this was the specific quality that was cited in Stuttgart.
Bayern's sports director Christoph Freund then said reporters: “You could see how hard work he is. I think that is a very important point over the entire season that he is a player who works very, very hard and can still do decisive things.”
Kane: Bayern is a little light
Maybe Bayern still needs more. Kane himself hinted at some challenges. “It has been a short preseason. We had to get many things done in a short time.” He was even unusually frank about the requirement for more new signing sessions.
“It is one of the smallest squadrons that I have probably played in. There is still time from now on to the end of the transfer window. We have a few really good young players who have done well in the pre-season games, but we are a little light, if we are honest.
“We will need everyone. With the team we have, everyone is going to play, everyone gets opportunities. There will be times when every individual has to get up and show what they can do.” Luis Diaz of course already has.