Luis Díaz squanders one-on-one chance in his Bayern debut against Stuttgart

Some debuts live on in memory because of a goal scored. Others stick in the throat because of the one that got away. Bayern Munich's opener in the new Bundesliga season, against Stuttgart, had a bit of both: good soccer, but also a thorn with a name on it: Luis Díaz.

The Colombian started for the Bavarians, and in the 25th minute he got the kind of chance any forward dreams of on debut night. Harry Kane, ever generous when a teammate is in better position, slipped him an exquisite pass that sent Díaz in alone, one-on-one with the goalkeeper. He surged forward, burst into the box with the trademark speed that's become his calling card, and then, at the decisive moment, his angled finish drifted just wide. The Stuttgart goalkeeper didn't need to make a big save, because the shot itself never found the angle to beat him.

It's the kind of play that replays over and over in your head. A one-on-one like that, with the whole goal to aim at, usually ends in a goal. Not this time, and Luis was left with his hands on his head, well aware he'd let slip a golden chance to start the season on the right foot.

A run still waiting for its first official goal

What stands out is that this miss comes right on the heels of a strong preseason for the Colombian winger. Díaz had looked sharp in the friendlies, scoring goals along the way, and everything suggested he was arriving in good form for the official kickoff. Soccer, though, has a habit of not always rewarding whoever's playing best: preseason belongs to preseason, and in the Bundesliga, where it actually counts, Díaz still hasn't opened his scoring account.

It's no small matter for a player who arrived at Bayern tagged as a marquee signing and who needs, sooner or later, to start converting that physical presence and knack for creating chances into goals, the same qualities he showed against Stuttgart. In fact, that first-half chance confirms the conditions are there: the issue, for now, is the finish at the crucial moment.

The match carried on after that chance, with Bayern trying to keep control and Stuttgart looking for openings to strike on the counter. But that play in the 25th minute will stand as the story of the afternoon for Díaz: Kane's perfect assist, the perfectly timed run, and the finish that wouldn't go in right when everything was set up for the season's first official goal.