Bayern Munich restored their lead of six points at the top of the Bundesliga on Saturday with a 3-0 win against Werder Bremen. Luis Diaz wasn’t on the scoresheet, unlike the previous two games, but he provided the assist for Harry Kane’s second goal in the first half.
The Colombian forward has scored four goals in the last three games across all competitions. With every passing game in Ruckrunde, Diaz is getting better, which bodes well for Bayern ahead of crucial fixtures in all three competitions.
There was considerable criticism of Bayern when they decided to make a move for Diaz in the summer. After missing out on Florian Wirtz, Bayern showed interest in Nico Williams and Bradley Barcola. However, Williams and Barcola decided to stay at Athletic Bilbao and Paris Saint-Germain, respectively. After facing disappointments in the pursuit of three forwards, the record Bundesliga champions turned their attention to Diaz to add firepower to the attack.
Bayern ultimately agreed to a total fee of €75 million with Liverpool for Diaz. It was widely deemed as an excessive fee for the then 28-year-old forward by fans, media, and pundits. To rub salt into wounds, Die Roten had effectively helped Liverpool to offset half of the fee they had spent on Wirtz early in the summer.
After 8 months, it does look like Bayern have had the last laugh over the critics. Diaz has hit the ground running at Bayern and helped the club have one of the best attacking trios in Europe this season.
Diaz has scored 19 goals in 30 appearances for Bayern across all competitions. The Colombian has also provided 11 assists, making him one of the most complete wide players in Europe this season. While talking to the media after the 2-0 win against RB Leipzig in the DFB Pokal (via iMiaSanMia), Max Eberl jokingly took a dig at the people who criticised Diaz’s signing in the summer.
"We were criticized a bit at the beginning [for signing him], but we knew what we were doing. We were convinced he would fit us very well, not only with his goals and assists, but also his willingness and intensity. He showed that in Liverpool for years. We felt he was a great fit for the way we want to play football. He's a very good transfer. Maybe some people will backtrack now and say: okay, maybe it wasn't too bad."Max Eberl
Diaz brought renewed intensity to Bayern’s attack
Along with having phenomenal productivity in the final third, Diaz also brings a lot of intensity out of possession for Bayern. The Colombian works tirelessly on the left flank to ensure Die Roten are defensively solid in this area of the pitch. He also presses aggressively, which helps Bayern to win the ball higher up the pitch and create more chances.
The former Porto FC forward has quickly become a fan favourite at Bayern. His passion and work rate bode well for Bayern on the pitch, and fans love to see it. Die Roten will hope Diaz continues this good run of form and helps the club win all possible trophies this season.
Stats courtesy- Whoscored