Luis Díaz scored for Bayern, but it wasn't enough to beat Viking FK in the Champions League

He'd been chasing it for a while, and it finally arrived: Luis Díaz found the back of the net again in the Champions League. It came right when Bayern Munich needed it most, during a tricky away trip to Norway that ended on a bittersweet note for Vincent Kompany's side.

The setting was Viking FK's stadium, for matchday two of the tournament's league phase, and the final score was a thrilling 3-3. The Colombian struck in the 71st minute to put Bayern up 3-2, on a play that started out wide and ended with him finishing right at the goalkeeper, off his right foot, like a true penalty-box forward.

It wasn't just any goal. In fact, it was his 50th appearance in European competition, a number that gives the night some extra weight. And it came after a couple of earlier misses: before he finally scored, he'd already tried his luck with another shot that the home goalkeeper managed to parry away. For a player who'd been under some scrutiny over his offensive output, scoring in a moment like this carries added value.

Díaz's goal meant more than just three points on the line, too. It was the key piece of a comeback Bayern built after a difficult first half. The German club didn't have it easy in Norway and had to dig deep to turn the result around.

A nervy finish

What looked like it was under control got complicated late. In the 74th minute, Michael Olise saw a straight red card, leaving his team down a man. Kompany had to make a move, pulling Díaz, the man of the night, and bringing on Josip Stanišić to shore up the defense in an attempt to protect the lead.

It wasn't enough. Viking FK, lifted by their home crowd, struck in stoppage time to make it a final 3-3 and let a Bayern win slip through their fingers just when it seemed within reach. Even so, the result leaves the Germans with four points in the league phase standings.

For Luis Díaz, the goal carries extra meaning: it's his first of this edition of the tournament, after closing out last season's campaign with seven goals. The bar is already set high for what's coming, because the schedule doesn't let up.

Bayern and their Colombian forward are already looking ahead to matchday three, when they host Arsenal on Wednesday, October 21, a fixture that promises a different level of intensity and arrives right on the heels of a draw that left Munich with more questions than answers.