Our number 25 is staying until 2024 - Thomas Müller has extended his contract at FC Bayern and will remain part of the German record champions’ attack in the future. In his 14 seasons to date as a first-team player, ThomAssist Müller has distinguished himself as an excellent provider of goals. Since the 2004/05 season, no other player has registered as many assists as the born-and-bred Bavarian - 151 to be precise! But the two-time Champions League winner and 2014 World Cup winner also likes to stick the ball in the back of the net himself, so here are Müller’s finest, most important and also most unusual goals during his time at Bayern.
10 March 2009: The first of many
Müller netted for FCB for the first time in the Champions League round of 16 clash against Sporting Lisbon.
Maiden goal for the Reds - and in the Champions League, no less! On 10 March 2009, Müller got his name on the scoreboard at the Allianz Arena for the first time at the tender age of 19 years, five months and 19 days. The so-called ‘Raumdeuter’ netted the final goal in a 7-1 win for Jürgen Klinsmann’s side in the second leg of their round of 16 match against Sporting. The first of what is now 52 goals in Europe’s premier club competition was in the bag.
12 September 2009: Brace at Westfalenstadion
Two are better than one: Müller bagged his first brace for the German record champions in Dortmund.
Müller didn’t have to wait long for his first goal - or rather, goals - in the Bundesliga either. On Matchday 5 of the 2009/10 campaign, FCB and the young Müller travelled to their long-time rivals from Dortmund. The Upper Bavaria native had just made his breakthrough in the first-team squad under head coach Louis van Gaal. After coming on in the second half, the then 19-year-old really made his mark and completed a 5-1 victory at the Westfalenstadion with his two goals in the 78th and 88th minute. They weren’t to be his last goals against the Black and Yellows: the academy product has scored 12 goals against BVB to date.
5 May 2012: With plenty of feeling!
Müller scored one of his best goals for Bayern against Köln on the final day of the season in 2012.
When you talk about magical moments from Thomas Müller, this goal is definitely among them! The German record champions ended the 2011/12 season away to Köln, who needed the points to stay up. That went to pot with a 4-1 defeat at home to FCB, though, with Müller completing the scoring with a neat backheel strike in the 85th minute. From Rafinha’s pinpoint delivery, the then 22-year-old drifted into space in typical fashion and skilfully flicked the ball into the Billy Goats’ net.
19 May 2012: Perhaps the most emotional
Pure ecstasy: There was no holding back after the opening goal in the 2012 Champions League final.
Although the 2012 Champions League final didn’t have the ending that Bayern wanted, Müller's goal to make it 1-0 at the time can probably be described as the most emotional of his career to date. There was bedlam not only at the Allianz Arena but across the Bavarian capital after the header in the 83rd minute. Ten years later, the two-time UCL winner is still clear: “When I’m asked, I describe that as the most awesome moment in my sporting career. I’ve not experienced a greater explosion of emotions since then.”
3 November 2012: Fine feet against HSV
This goal at the Volksparkstadion underlined Müller’s qualities once more.
Bayern fans witnessed one of Müller’s finest goals at Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion in 2012, when he scored the second in a 3-0 victory. After the pass from Franck Ribéry, the situation in the Hamburg penalty box didn’t appear too dangerous, but the wily fox Müller measured up the tight angle and curled the ball past René Adler into the net.
23 April 2013: Müller, Barça’s nemesis
Müller celebrates with Mario Gómez as Bayern cruise to a 4-0 win in the 2013 Champions League semi-finals.
‘Radio Müller’ produced one of his best, if not his best performance in a Bayern shirt in the 2013 Champions League semi-finals. Against a brilliant Barcelona team containing Lionel Messi, the Bavarians produced a sensational display in front of their own fans. Müller starred with a brace, heading in the opening goal before completing the 4-0 success with his right foot from David Alaba’s assist. A night for the history books!
17 May 2014: Battle of wills against BVB
Game over: Müller rounds BVB goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller and seals the double.
As in previous years, Müller demonstrated his qualities once again in Der Klassiker against Dortmund. Germany’s top two teams battled it out for 120 minutes in the 2014 cup final. In extra time, first it was ‘Mr Wembley’ Arjen Robben who put Munich in front, before Müller made sure of cup glory with a sprint over half the pitch. Bayern’s current longest-serving player still vividly remembers the goal. “When I see it, on the one hand I have to smile, on the other I still feel what I felt in my legs at the time.”
20 February 2016: Müller goes Brazilian
Joyous celebrations after the goal to make it 2-1 against Darmstadt.
The Reds found it hard for a long time in their home match against Darmstadt 98 during the 2015/16 season. Having fallen behind to Darmstadt’s Sandro Wagner, Müller levelled the score shortly after half-time before producing another moment of magic in the 71st minute. Bayern’s number 25 bagged a brace with a stunning overhead kick and sent the Allianz Arena wild.
16 March 2016: Last-minute Müller
Last-gasp: Müller with the vital equaliser against Juventus.
One of the most important goals of his career! After a 2-2 draw in Turin in the first leg of their 2015/16 Champions League last-16 tie against Juventus, the German record champions had put themselves in a decent position to finish the job at home. However, Pep Guardiola’s men were up against it when they trailed 2-0 early on. The Reds eventually stirred in the second half and reduced the arrears through Robert Lewandowski. The header from the Munich boy to make it 2-2 in stoppage time set Bayern on course for victory and they progressed to the quarter-finals with a deserved 4-2 win after extra time.
18 September 2019: A classic Müller
A stroke of genius! On Matchday 1 of the 2019/20 Champions League campaign, Müller once again emphasised his unique intelligence and finesse in front of goal. In the group match against Red Star Belgrade, the 11-time German champion perfectly finished off Thiago’s chipped free-kick and buried the ball into the bottom left corner - an effort that has to be included in any compilation of the World Cup winner’s goals.
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