FC Markt Schwaben ballgirl Lea couldn't believe her luck when she came away with a truly special memento from Tuesday’s friendly between Bayern and the sixth-tier outfit from the Munich suburbs: a match ball, no less. It was the ball Mario Gomez buried from the penalty spot to make the score 3-0 at the time. However, the souvenir was flat as a pancake, because the striker hit the rear stanchion of the goal frame with such force that the ball burst.
If little Lea was thrilled, Gomez himself cannot have been far behind. After 101 days sidelined with injury, the Germany international came through a successful comeback in Tuesday's friendly, finishing on a total of four goals and completing the 90 minutes without any problems. “It was a great game from Mario," enthused boss Jupp Heynckes afterwards. Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was just as pleased: “He’s worked really hard towards a comeback."
In a first low-profile test run after three months out of action, Gomez struck two goals with his left peg and two with his right. The match was “not especially demanding" for the unfamiliar FCB team on the night, Gomez acknowledged the following day, but he was nonetheless very satisfied: “I finally played in the team again after my first ever operation. I'm enjoying being back with the squad."
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