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In the 90th minute of Bayern Munich’s tight affair against Freiburg, Phillipe Coutinho was subbed off for Joshua Zirkzee. The eighteen-year-old scored two minutes later, with a delightful poke that rolled into the back of the net. It was Zirkzee’s first touch in his first Bundesliga game, and therefore also his first Bundesliga goal.
That goal has catapulted Zirkzee past greats not only of Bayern, but of the game itself, in the rankings of the youngest players to score for Bayern in the Bundesliga. This tweet showcases the new top five:
Youngest ever goal scorers for Bayern in the Bundesliga:
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) December 19, 2019
1. Roque Santa Cruz (18 years & 12 days)
2. Alphonso Davies (18 years & 135 days)
3. Joshua Zirkzee (18 years & 210 days)
4. Uli Hoeneß (18 years & 327 days)
5. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (18 years & 354 days)
[Kicker] pic.twitter.com/aOZz44q4co
As you can see, Zirkzee is now Bayern’s third-youngest Bundesliga scorer, leapfrogging former Ballon d’Or winner, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. Furthermore, Zirkzee scored his first goal at a younger age than many Bayern legends and world-class players, such as Uli Hoeness, Thomas Müller and David Alaba.
Only Zirkzee’s teammate Alphonso Davies (against Mainz last season), and Roque Santa Cruz (around 20 years ago), were younger than Zirkzee’s 18 years and 210 days when they accomplished the feat. Zirkzee just might be the next world-class youth player able to break through to Bayern’s first team. The potential is certainly there: now, only time will tell.