8 standout moments from Leon Goretzka in a Bayern jersey | OneFootball

Danke, Leon! After eight years and 312 appearances in an FC Bayern jersey, Leon Goretzka is bidding farewell to Munich. The 31-year-old midfielder can look back on a successful spell with the German record champions, which reached its peak with the 2020 Champions League triumph and concluded with the double win in 2026. To mark his departure, fcbayern.com looks back at eight special moments from our number eight.

On Matchday 2 of the 2018/19 season, when FC Bayern were away to VfB Stuttgart, the Bayern coach at the time, Niko Kovač put new signing Goretzka in the starting XI for the first time. On the pitch, the former Bochum and Schalke player repaid his coach’s faith straight away – and how! In the 37th minute, he put the German record champions ahead with a curling shot into the bottom-right corner; in the 62nd minute, he set up Robert Lewandowski’s goal to double the lead. In the end, Bayern headed home to Munich with a 3-0 victory under their belts – and Goretzka as Man of the Match.

During the 2019/20 season, Goretzka scored what was arguably his finest goal in an FC Bayern jersey – and against his former club, of all teams. His strike to make it 3-0 in the 5-0 home win against Schalke 04 treated the crowd at the Allianz Arena to a masterclass in skill. Five minutes after the break, Joshua Kimmich swung in a corner towards the far post, where Goretzka’s header was initially blocked. The ball rebounded back to the midfielder, who didn’t hesitate. He launched himself into a scissors kick and found the bottom left corner – leaving goalkeeper Markus Schubert with no chance. It was one of a total of 51 goals Goretzka scored in eight seasons at FCB.

Seven Bundesliga titles, three DFB Cup trophies, three DFL Supercup wins, one Champions League trophy, one UEFA Super Cup and one Club World Cup: Leon Goretzka does have quite a few trophies in his collection. He was part of the team that won no less than six trophies in 2020 – a feat previously achieved only by Barcelona (in 2009). The midfielder’s greatest achievement in that record-breaking year was the Champions League triumph in Lisbon. In the final against Paris Saint-Germain (1-0), Goretzka and his teammates ascended to the throne of European football. During the 'final-eight' tournament in the Portuguese capital, the Bochum-born player started every match, making a vital contribution to the team’s journey to lifting the rophy.

As the newly crowned Champions League winners, Bayern faced Europa League winners Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup. Coach Hansi Flick’s treble-winning side fought out a close encounter with the Andalusians at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, with the Munich side eventually securing a 2–1 victory in extra time. The celebrated hero was veteran Javi Martínez, who scored the winner with a header in the 104th minute. Goretzka had already laid the foundations for the win during normal time. In the 34th minute, Robert Lewandowski played a pass to the 1.89-metre-tall midfielder in the box, and he struck the ball into the net with the inside of his boot, bringing the German record champions back into the game after they'd gone behind to a goal from Sevilla’s Ocampos. It was one of Goretzka’s most important goals for FCB.

Six games, six wins, 18 goals scored and just two conceded: Bayern impressed the whole of Europe during the 2021/22 season with their triumphant run through the Champions League group stage. A 4-2 away win at Viktoria Plzeň saw the Munich side secure their place in the round of 16 as early as Matchday 4. They owed this largely to match winner Goretzka. In the 10th minute, our number eight played a fine one-two with Sadio Mané in the opposition’s penalty area, with Mané scoring to put us ahead; Goretzka then converted a cross from Thomas Müller in the 25th minute to make it 3-0. The midfielder also scored the Munich men's fourth goal himself, chipping the ball over the goalkeeper after a superb pass from Leroy Sané. “I’m delighted to have scored two goals,” said the midfielder after the game.

Goretzka won’t forget a certain afternoon in Cologne either. Up until the 71st minute, the Bayern player watched the game against 1. FC Köln on the final day of the 2022/23 season (2-1) from the bench, before coming on as a substitute for Ryan Gravenberch. As the Munich men conceded an equaliser ten minutes from time, but needed a win to secure the title, coach Thomas Tuchel made a double substitution up front – and Goretzka had to leave the pitch again after around 15 minutes. Forward Mathys Tel came on in his place, and Jamal Musiala was also brought on for the final minutes. Thanks to his winning goal in the dying seconds, FCB were able to celebrate their 11th consecutive league title. Goretzka, who had made a significant contribution to this success in 27 appearances, lifted the trophy for the fifth time.

In the 8-1 home thrashing of 1. FSV Mainz 05 in the 2023/24 season, the whole Bayern side shone, but one player in particular did really stand out: Goretzka, who contributed two goals and two assists. In a sold-out Allianz Arena, he scored from a rebound and with a header, and also delivered two pinpoint crosses from the midfield, which Harry Kane and Serge Gnabry converted into goals. Goretzka played a total of 15 (!) passes into the final third that afternoon, with a pass completion rate of 93 per cent. The Germany international had a day to remember and once again demonstrated his quality.

Goretzka was able to celebrate yet another exceptionally successful season to cap off his eight years at FC Bayern. Although the Munich side narrowly missed out on the European crown after being knocked out of the Champions League in the semi-finals by Paris Saint-Germain, Goretzka did mark his departure with the domestic double of league title and DFB Cup.  During his final home game at the Allianz Arena, the midfielder was also accorded a special honour. The Bayern fans in the Südkurve bid him farewell with a banner reading “Bochum boy in red and white – Thank you for eight years, Leon!” and presented him with a scarf. “The special moment for me was when I stood in front of the Südkurve, spoke to the fans and they gave me a little gift. That simply showed me that I was, and still am, part of the family here. I’m just proud of that,” said Goretzka.

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