…with a little help from Gomez.

The re-re-emergence (am I missing a “re” here?) of Mario Gomez was certainly a pleasure to watch against Hannover 96 and CFR Cluj. With Ivica Olic and Miroslav Klose out injured, the ex-Stuttgart striker and German international showed a flash of his 30 million Euro transfer fee, netting a nifty hat-trick against the Hannoverians and a goal against the Romanians.

It’s strange to say he is the first striker to strike for Bayern in the Bundesliga this season. And it’s a shame he didn’t wait for his third goal against Hannover to disrobe. (And if you could’ve heard what I said about it, you would’ve certainly rolled your eyes at me--- unless you’re a girl, that is.)

“Greetings to Chile” were the first words he spoke after the Hannover match. Coincidentally, the last miner rescued in Chile is also named Mario Gomez. 33 rescued in total, while Gomez’s kit number is also 33. He went on to say, “It can’t have been coincidence that I started scoring today, it must have been fate…”

Fate or coincidence, long have I been skeptical about Mr. Gomez and still continue to wonder if he’s a proper fit for Bayern Munich, but he’s come up neatly in my esteem lately. And although I give him all sorts of flak, I’d love to see him prove his worth.

…with a little help from Cluj.

It was a curious Champions League match which saw the Romanian club scoring two own goals to help propel Bayern to a 3-2 win. With 9 maximum points in the first three group stage matches, die Roten are almost assured a trip to the last sixteen.

Cluj captain Cadu will certainly be looking to forget this match. After scoring the opener, he opened the score for Bayern four minutes later. And his poor goal line clearance late in the game smacked in to Mario Gomez and through Stancioiu’s legs for the eventual winner.

It was not as momentous a match as the one against Juventus last season, but perhaps it was indicative of a turning point, nonetheless. I’ve often said that it doesn’t matter how we score goals, just as long as we do.

“It’s always difficult when your opponents pull ten men back behind the ball,” said van Gaal, repeating a phrase that he’s been saying since he arrived in Munich.

…with no help from the KNVB.

The Dutch FA and Bayern bosses are meeting to discuss the kerfluffle over injuries sustained to Mark van Bommel and Arjen Robben whilst playing for the Netherlands. I’m not exactly sure what is supposed to be accomplished at this meeting, since everyone has pretty much gone on record with their opinions.

The Germans and Dutch are firing salvos back and forth at each other. And if everyone involved is convinced they are correct (and they are), it will leave Bayern Muenchen AG no choice but to bring forth a lawsuit. One which would have far-reaching implications for international football if Bayern were to win.

While I am sure the KNVB has enough money to compensate Bayern for the loss of playing wages and insurance premiums for the two international stars, what would happen to a lesser footballing country? The Wall Street Journal gave up a perfect example: What if Didier Drogba suffered a long-term injury playing for the Ivory Coast, and Chelsea FC demanded compensation for his (exorbitant) wages? It would certainly break the bank of the African nation’s FA.

There are so many nuances to this argument of club versus country. Who is culpable and when? It is the player who is trying for glory in international competition? Is it the FA who wants to put the best possible team forward? Is it the club that is trying to protect the amount of money they’ve invested?

Everyone has a point, and it will be interesting to see the way this plays out. Personally, I would’ve liked to see this handled a bit more behind doors, without everyone insulting each other. The arrogance of the Dutch and Germans alike has been a bit harsh, but we have to remember that we are talking about two insanely proud footballing nations, who have warred against each other on the pitch--- and the battlefield.