Three goals were on Serge Gnabry's personal menu in FC Bayern's 8-0 opening day win over Schalke. It was a special treat for the 25-year-old, as it was the first Bundesliga hat-trick of his career. His season couldn't have got off to a better start - and there certainly wasn't any coincidence that formed part of this recipe for success: in Gnabry's last four competitive matches for FCB, the striker has been directly involved in a total of seven goals (six goals, one assist).
No time to lose
His first goal of the evening was also the first goal of the 2020/21 Bundesliga season. The new season was less than four minutes old when the winger hammered the ball past Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann and into the net. It all happened in almost record time, with Gnabry's goal now the second fastest goal in a Bundesliga opening game. Only Belgian Bart Goor's goal was faster, when he scored for Hertha against Dortmund in the first minute of the 2002/03 campaign.
Relentless
Gnabry's second goal of the evening (47) was similarly rapid. The second half had barely kicked off when the 25-year-old, in perfect sync with his new wing partner Leroy Sané, scored to make it 4-0 to FC Bayern. The situation was similar for the fifth when Sané again assisted for Gnabry to score. Unbelievably: it was the first time Gnabry had scored more than one goal in a game at the Allianz Arena. It seems as though the Chef's hunger for titles has not yet been satisfied after last season - and that's a good thing.
Gnabry's wing partner, debutant Leroy Sané, can also look back on a very successful evening:
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