Bayern had plenty to celebrate in the dressing room. After a 7-0 win like that, there were more than enough reasons. "The coach had us give a few speeches in the dressing room," Harry Kane reported just after midnight on Friday, as the last Bayern professional to leave after the rout of Union Berlin, a gingerbread heart with an iced 100 on the front in his hand in honour of his next 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 good spirits, adding with a laugh when asked that Olise's speech had been the shortest.
No surprises there.
What Luis Diaz made of those speeches from the other attacking stars in front of the assembled squad is not known. Diaz left the Allianz Arena without any further comment. The contrast could hardly have been sharper. There were one happy reason after another to cheer and celebrate, and then there was Luis Diaz, the striker who currently seems unable to escape bad luck. The sad figure among so many fortunate souls.
When did Luis Diaz score his last goal for Bayern Munich?
At the very least, he did not look downcast after another wasted evening for the Munich side, his fifth in a row. Since his goal for 5-1 in the Bundesliga opener against VfB Stuttgart, the 29-year-old has failed to produce anything of note in the matches since. Worse still, against Schalke, Osnabrück in the cup and Bodö/Glimt in the Champions League, he also squandered some very good chances. Last week, after coming on in Elversberg, he drew the anger of his team-mate Josip Stanisic when, after Michael Olise had picked him out perfectly 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.
This time, his most notable moment came when he did put away what had been Munich's best move to that point, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.
Another match without a goal or assist meant Diaz broke 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 important thing is to keep working on it, to improve. I know that it is only the chance conversion. It is only the finish that is missing - and then it will be fine."
Getty ImagesHow well are Luis Diaz's team-mates at Bayern taking their chances?
Diaz will now have to wait until 10 October for his next chance to put things right. International matches come first, before the game at FC Augsburg. And for Luis Diaz, special leave. Colombia's national coach Nestor Lorenzo, in consultation with his striker, decided not to call him up. Diaz is 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 Colombian national team (7 goals, 3 assists).
Even during the World Cup, when Diaz reached the last 16 with Colombia, he had struggled with his chance conversion. In the first weeks after his return to Munich, that problem intensified, until against Union he no longer even got on the end of many chances.
Still, according to Sofascore's data, he has already missed six big chances in the Bundesliga alone, and after the first four Bundesliga matchdays he had an expected-goals value of 3.1. By comparison, Harry Kane has so far scored three goals 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 came on for Diaz against Union in the 63rd minute, also has one goal and three assists in his first four Bundesliga games in just 178 minutes of playing time.
Might Luis Diaz even have seen his dip in form coming?
"Some would be glad if they had 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 now and it is simply good for the player. He has just had a lot of games. So in that respect it is nice." Diaz will "first have a bit of a holiday and then get going again. He will have his programme. There is no need to worry that he will not come back fit," said Eberl.
Curiously, Luis Diaz appears at least to have considered the possibility of a drop in form at the start of this season. In an interview with Sky/RTL, he even revealed that he would certainly 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 alternate. That is very important. I would have liked it. But fine, it did not happen. We are still good as we are."
Getty ImagesLuis Diaz has been given special leave before at Bayern
In fact, Bayern had intended, and had 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 loaned Arijon Ibrahimovic to FC Augsburg, somewhat to the surprise of the 20-year-old as well. "Where did Isi score his goal from today?" Eberl replied on Friday when asked whether Bayern might now perhaps think again in winter about a back-up for Diaz, given his left-wing position is the only one not nominally covered twice.
That question from Eberl was rhetorical, because Saibari had of course scored his goal from the left side of the penalty area. The Moroccan is not really a winger, of course, as he lacks the pace for that. However, he is so intelligent in his play, has such a good eye and possesses such fine technique that in attack he can in fact theoretically play in any position. Serge Gnabry can also cover for Diaz in his position. For the time being, though, Diaz is not really likely to have to worry about his place in the team. Vincent Kompany is likely to keep rotating in the coming games to give all the stars as close to equal playing time as possible. After the international break, several midweek rounds also follow one after another.
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. Coach Vincent Kompany sent him "away for a few days. I think it is simply sensible now that he is away for a few days and then comes back mentally and physically at one hundred per cent," the coach had explained at the time.
Diaz did return full of drive back then and played a very good second half of the season. Will history repeat itself, only at a much earlier point in the season?