Luis Díaz turns on the hat trick heat for Bayern, arrives in top form for Arsenal's Champions League visit

Three goals and an assist in 90 minutes. That's how Luis Díaz answered the call right when Bayern Munich needed him most, and that performance put his name above everyone else's just before a matchup that really matters: this Wednesday, October 21, at the Allianz Arena, Arsenal comes to town for the Champions League.

The Colombian was the standout figure in Saturday's 6-1 thrashing of RB Leipzig, and that showcase arrives at the perfect time: with Michael Olise suspended for the European fixture, there's a big gap in the Bavarian attack that somebody has to fill.

And it's no small gap. Olise had been decisive: nine goals and five assists through his first 10 appearances of the season, running almost neck and neck with Harry Kane, who has racked up nine goals and six assists of his own. A good chunk of the team's offensive football ran through the connection between the Frenchman and Konrad Laimer down the right flank. Without Olise, Vincent Kompany has to figure out how to keep that production up without losing width in the final third.

Here's where things get interesting: Díaz doesn't slot in as a direct replacement for Olise on the field. The Colombian winger lives on the left side, while the Frenchman typically operates on the right. That's why one idea being floated is to bring in Lennart Karl, just 18 years old, on that right flank, freeing up Díaz to do his thing on the other side: unbalancing defenses, driving into space and arriving in the box.

A perfect night against Leipzig

Díaz's performance against Leipzig was complete from start to finish. He opened the scoring in just the 12th minute, then set up Aleksandar Pavlović for the second goal, and capped off his night with two more goals, in the 47th and 69th minutes. Four goals with a direct hand in a single afternoon, a number that brings Bayern back to a more dominant version of themselves after the draws against Augsburg and Viking had raised some doubts.

Sporting director Max Eberl didn't hold back when talking about the Colombian:

Lucho is an incredibly important player for us. Especially heading into Wednesday.Max Eberl

And there's a bit of poetic justice in all of this. Díaz had been going through an uneven start to the season in front of goal, with chances slipping away at moments when he'd normally finish them off. The hat trick against Leipzig came right when the team needed that kind of response, and right before facing an opponent that isn't coming to give anything away.

Because Arsenal arrives in good form and will test Bayern on both flanks. If Díaz produces anything close to what he showed on Saturday, the ability to attack space, take defenders on one-on-one and show up where it counts, he could end up being the difference maker at the Allianz Arena.