Did Luis Diaz even foresee his dip in form? A striker of sad figure among a host of fortune seekers at Bayern Munich
After the 7-0 win against Union Berlin, all of Bayern Munich’s attacking players had something to celebrate. All except Luis Diaz, whose goal drought continues. Bayern are now hoping one measure will help history repeat itself.
Bayern had plenty to celebrate in the dressing room. After a 7-0 win like that, the list was always going to be long. "The coach had some of us give speeches in the dressing room," Harry Kane reported when, a few minutes after midnight, he became the last professional from the German record champions to leave the dressing room on Friday after the thumping win over Union Berlin, a gingerbread heart with an iced 100 on the front in his hand in honour of his latest fabulous record. "Michael scored his first hat-trick for us, Isi (Saibari, editor's note) scored his first goal for Bayern Munich, I got my 100th goal, Serge Gnabry is back after his injury," Kane said in high spirits, adding with a laugh when asked that Olise's speech had been the shortest.
No surprises there.
What Luis Diaz made of all that as the other attacking stars spoke about their success in front of the squad is not known. Diaz left the Allianz Arena without comment. The contrast could hardly have been sharper. There were all those reasons to cheer and celebrate, and then there was Luis Diaz, the striker who currently seems unable to catch a break. The sorry figure among all the fortunate ones.
When did Luis Diaz score his last goal for Bayern Munich?
At least one thing stood out: he did not look downcast after another frustrating night for Bayern, his fifth in a row. Since his goal for 5-1 in the Bundesliga opener against VfB Stuttgart, the 29-year-old has had nothing to show for his efforts in the matches since. Worse still, against Schalke, Osnabrück in the cup and Bodö/Glimt in the Champions League, he also spurned some very high-class chances. Last week, after coming on in Elversberg, he even drew the anger of his team-mate Josip Stanisic when, perfectly picked out by Michael Olise in the penalty area, he did not simply shoot at goal but instead seemed somehow to have several spectacular tricks in mind before managing only a little backheel effort.
Against Union, his most notable moment came when he finished what had been Bayern's best move up to that point, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.
Another game without a goal or an assist meant Diaz failed to deliver on the promise he had made in an interview with Sky/RTL. "I think that goal will come in the next game. You also have to stay calm mentally so it does not weigh on you. The key is to work on it and improve. I know it is only the finishing. Only the final touch is missing - and then it will be fine."
How well do Luis Diaz's team-mates at Bayern convert their chances?
Diaz will not get his next chance to put things right until 10 October. International matches come first, up to the away game at FC Augsburg. And for Luis Diaz, that means special leave. Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo, in consultation with his striker, decided not to call him up. Diaz is set to rest after an extremely energy-sapping previous season with 51 appearances for Bayern, in which he managed an outstanding 26 goals and 23 assists, plus another 16 games for the Colombia national team (7 goals, 3 assists).
Even during the World Cup, where Diaz reached the last 16 with Colombia, he had struggled with his finishing, and in the first weeks after his return to Munich that problem worsened, until against Union he was no longer even getting many chances.
Still, according to Sofascore data, he has already missed six big chances in the Bundesliga alone, and across the first four Bundesliga matchdays he posted an expected goals value of 3.1. For comparison, Harry Kane has scored three times so far from an xG of 2.17, while the outstanding Michael Olise has four goals from an xG of 2.65. Across all competitions, Olise already has eight goals and three assists. Ismael Saibari, who replaced Diaz against Union in the 63rd minute, also has one goal and three assists from his first four Bundesliga games in only 178 minutes of playing time.
Did Luis Diaz perhaps even see this loss of form coming?
"Some would be glad to have a dip like his," Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl said on Friday, before explaining: "In South America, the international matches are not absolutely necessary right now and it is simply doing the player good at the moment. He has simply had a great many games. So in that respect it is nice." Diaz will "first take a bit of a holiday and then come back in. He will have his programme. There is no need to worry that he will not come back fit," said Eberl.
Curiously, Luis Diaz seems at least to have considered the possibility of a dip in form at the start of this season. In the interview with Sky/RTL, he even revealed that he would definitely have liked a back-up for his position. "Of course I always want to play. But if someone is there who can help in my position: welcome. That helps a lot when things are not going well. Then the team-mate is there to help you - and that way you take turns. That is very important. I would have liked that. But fine, it did not happen. We are good as we are."
Luis Diaz has been given special leave at Bayern before
Bayern had, in fact, planned, and said as much, to go into the season with that kind of back-up for Diaz. But shortly before the end of the transfer window, they sent Arijon Ibrahimovic on loan to FC Augsburg, somewhat to the surprise of the 20-year-old as well. "From where did Isi score his goal today?" Eberl replied on Friday when asked whether Bayern might perhaps think again in winter about a back-up for Diaz, since his left-wing position is nominally the only one not covered twice.
Eberl's question was rhetorical because Saibari had, of course, scored from the left side of the penalty area. The Moroccan is not, of course, a winger, because he lacks the pace for that. He is, however, so intelligent in his play, has such a good eye and such fine technique that he can theoretically play in any attacking position. Serge Gnabry can also cover for Diaz in his position. As things stand, though, Diaz does not initially need to worry about his place in the team. Vincent Kompany is likely to keep rotating in the coming games to give as many stars as possible similar playing time. On top of that, several midweek rounds follow one after another after the international break.
Incidentally, this is not the first time Luis Diaz has been given a holiday in the middle of the season. In December 2025, he was suspended in the Champions League because of a red card and had also picked up his fifth yellow card in the Bundesliga, so coach Vincent Kompany sent him "away for a few days. I think it is simply sensible now for him to be away for a few days and then come back mentally and physically at one hundred per cent," the coach had explained at the time.
Diaz did return full of energy then and produced a very good second half of the season. Will history repeat itself, only much earlier in the campaign?
