Luis Díaz arrives in scoring form for Bayern-Arsenal, the clash he missed last year due to suspension

A hat trick at the Allianz Arena doesn't happen every day, especially not when it comes right after a brilliant goal in the Champions League. That's exactly what Luis Díaz brings into a match that hits close to home: Bayern Munich hosts Arsenal, and the Colombian already knows by heart what it means to face the Gunners.

Let's break it down, because Díaz's current form couldn't be better. After scoring against Viking in the Champions League, the winger from La Guajira produced three goals and an assist in Bayern's 6-1 rout of Leipzig in the Bundesliga. That level of play comes at the perfect time, with the schedule now pitting him against a heavyweight opponent: Arsenal, runner-up in last season's Champions League and the reigning English champion.

Things get a bit trickier for Bayern, who will be without Olise due to suspension, a situation not unlike the one Díaz himself experienced last season. This will be the eighth time the Colombian faces the Londoners, though the first wearing Bayern's colors. The other seven came with Liverpool, the club where he built much of his European résumé.

A mixed bag of a history

With the Reds, Díaz faced Arsenal seven times: six in the Premier League and one in the FA Cup. The first chapter came in the 21/22 season, when Liverpool won 2-0 at the Emirates and Díaz started without getting on the scoresheet. A year later, in 22/23, the story was much harder: he went off injured with a knee problem in the 42nd minute on a night Liverpool ended up losing 3-2, an injury that kept him sidelined for several months.

Then came a 1-1 draw at Anfield, and later his first real moment of joy against the Gunners: in the FA Cup third round, playing unusually on the right flank instead of his natural wing, Díaz scored a great goal in a 2-0 away win. In the final stretch of his time in England he added one more loss and two more draws, including the one on matchday 36 of the 24/25 season, when Liverpool were already champions and Díaz, playing as a makeshift striker due to teammates' absences, scored in the 2-2 final result. The tally reads: two wins, three draws and two losses, with two goals scored.

The rematch that got away

When Díaz signed with Bayern, the Champions League draw paired the Bavarians with Arsenal in the league phase. But he missed that meeting: a straight red card for a hard tackle on Hakimi, in the same match where he had scored twice, earned him a suspension from UEFA. Bayern managed to get it reduced from three games to two after an appeal, but it still wasn't enough to make him available for the match at the Emirates, where the team suffered a 3-1 defeat, Kompany's first loss of that season.

Now, a season later, the rematch has arrived. Bayern and Arsenal meet again, and this time Díaz will be available to try to cause trouble for Arteta's side. The match will be played on Wednesday, October 21, at 2:00 p.m. (Colombia time), at the Allianz Arena.