Luis Diaz has been an absolute top transfer for FC Bayern so far. Which Joshua Kimmich finds rather unusual.
So nothing is going right for Harry Kane at the moment. A measly goal in Frankfurt is simply not enough for a striker of his caliber, and his impressive two-goal average is now a thing of the past… And anyone who doesn’t take such statements too seriously can probably guess how things will be looking for Bayern in early fall 2025: there’s hardly anything to complain about.
Kane isn’t actually that bad and has even set a new start record with eleven goals in six league games, but for the first time he has now left the stage to someone else, at least a little bit. Luis Diaz actually managed to prevent Kane from being named player of the match for the first time this season in October. With two goals and an assist, the Colombian took the crown in the 3-0 win in Frankfurt and played with his usual enthusiasm. ” It’s his first season, his first steps in Germany,“ says coach Vincent Kompany, who finds Luis Diaz ‘impressive’ for that reason. Above all, his ”activity and energy“ are ”a very good fit.”
Luis Diaz, as is often noted, is not as eye-catching as Michael Olise. This is not meant as a criticism of Luis Diaz, but rather a compliment to Olise. No one can match the Frenchman’s ball control, but Luis Diaz is wilder, perhaps a little more unpredictable, and certainly has a nose for goal-scoring situations. The fact that he scored after just 15 seconds on Saturday was, of course, quite special, but it could have been his third goal in the first minute of play this season. In both the 3-2 win in Augsburg and the 3-2 cup win in Wiesbaden, the 28-year-old had the chance to make it 1-0 immediately after a long goal kick from keeper Manuel Neuer. “It’s no coincidence that he has these chances,” says Joshua Kimmich. “He has a very good nose for where the ball might go.”
After six games, Luis Diaz has five goals and four assists in the league, already matching last year’s tally of his predecessor Kingsley Coman, who needed 28 games to score those nine points.
The fact that he scored after just 15 seconds on Saturday was, of course, quite special, but it could have been his third goal in the first minute of a game this season. In both the 3-2 win in Augsburg and the 3-2 cup win in Wiesbaden, the 28-year-old had the chance to make it 1-0 immediately after a long goal kick from keeper Manuel Neuer. “It’s no coincidence that he has these chances,” says Joshua Kimmich. “He has a very good nose for where the ball might go.”
After six games, Luis Diaz has five goals and four assists in the league, already matching last year’s tally of his predecessor Kingsley Coman, who needed 28 games to score nine points.
“There’s been a lot of talk about Michael and Harry, and rightly so,” says Kimmich, who then turns his attention to Luis Diaz: “Today, we definitely have to talk about Lucho and the game he played.” How he once again helped the team defensively and worked hard for the team.
And in general: “How quickly he integrated, how quickly he fit in. I think it’s not so easy when you come to a new country and don’t speak the language. We’ve seen many players before who didn’t manage to do that.” Not so Luis Diaz, Kimmich praises: “He was somehow right there from the very first moment, immediately part of the group. Regardless of the fact that he helps us tremendously on the field, he is also an absolute asset to the locker room. It’s really fun to be on the field with him.”
Luis Diaz doesn’t speak English very well and of course doesn’t speak German, but “everyone understands soccer English,” explains Kimmich with a laugh. He himself can help Luis Diaz with at least a few words of Spanish, and the same goes for Serge Gnabry and Raphael Guerreiro. “Even all the commands and principles aren’t that difficult,” says Kimmich. It’s refreshingly simple with Luis Diaz, who just laughs, plays soccer, and hasn’t caused any distractions so far.
Outstanding statistics – even in a league comparison
Bayern have obviously made a very good investment in Luis Diaz, who cost around €70 million, and not so much because Luis Diaz scores points, but because he manages to make his teammates better, open up space and create chances.
In the Bundesliga, the former Liverpool player provides an assist every 37 minutes, which is the best figure among offensive players in the league (ahead of Stuttgart’s Jamie Leweling and teammate Kane, who each need 38 minutes). He also has the most passes (42 per game, followed by Leipzig’s Yan Diomande with 36), the most passes into the attacking third (113) and the best pass completion rate (84.9 percent). “He already showed what he can do at Liverpool,” praises sporting director Max Eberl, adding: “Accordingly, we wanted and actually expected him to deliver that, but the fact that he has done so consistently from the start is remarkable.”
Coach Kompany says there is “no pressure on Luis Diaz to do something special that the others don’t do.” He doesn’t, either; everything is simple and simply good. Like everything else at FC Bayern right now.
