A night to remember – for Bayern and especially for Serge Gnabry! The 24-year-old was the star of the Reds‘ superb 7-2 win at Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday evening, making history in the process. The attacker netted his first Champions League goal shortly after half-time, and having got the taste, he really got cooking. Two minutes after his maiden goal in Europe’s premier club competition, the Germany international scored again – the quickest ever brace by a Bayern player in the Champions League. His hunger was still not satisfied, though, and Gnabry added two more goals in the closing stages despite his tiring legs.
“He said he doesn’t even know himself how he scored the last one because he was so tired,” revealed sporting director Hasan Salihamidžić. “He just went for the shot. Four goals in one half is an immense achievement.” Gnabry was therefore fully deserving of the applause and the chants at the post-match banquet at the team hotel.
Gnabry is only the fifth player in Champions League history to score four goals in one match. “I’ve waited a long time for my first Champions League goal, so to have scored four, it’s something I couldn’t have dreamt of. It’s just wonderful,” said the delighted man of the match. “The whole team had a moment of glory tonight and Serge’s four goals are the crowning,” praised coach Niko Kovač. “It was certainly his best performance, but I was also pleased with how he defended.”
The location made the evening even more unforgettable for Gnabry. At the age of 15, he moved from his hometown of Stuttgart to Arsenal and lived in London for four years. “We’ve all enjoyed this evening, this game and this result,” added Gnabry, who took home the match ball at the final whistle. “It’s a very good feeling, we’re happy to have a night like this. We wanted to lay down a marker. It was an important three points.”
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