Pizarro is a new man

Claudio Pizarro will probably be remembered by most fans of English football as a man who struggled in the Chelsea colours, managing to score just two goals in his 31 appearances in England.

At the time of his signing at Stamford Bridge, Pizarro was seen as a potential bargain. The Peruvian striker arrived from Bayern Munich with a good reputation and a solid goal scoring record, and better yet, he was free. However, things didn’t work out for one reason or another (not for the first time under the Abramovich era), and it is back at Bayern, where Pizarro is beginning to prove himself again.

Pizarro regained his confidence at another former club, Werder Bremen after his disastrous season in England, scoring 88 goals in 143 games for the Bundesliga club. A summer revamp this year at German giants Bayern saw them come calling to the 34-year-old, along with fellow striker Mario Mandzukic to supposedly support main man Mario Gomez. Gomez’s injury however, has seen both Mandzukic and Pizarro duking it out for the striking role at the club, something that must be coveted by poachers across Europe, given the firepower Bayern possess with the likes of Arjen Robben, Frank Ribery and Toni Kroos.

It is Mandzukic who has impressed most this season, scoring 8 goals in 10 Bundesliga appearances while Pizarro has yet to get off the mark in the team’s outstanding start to the domestic season. It was the Peruvian who got the nod last night though, in a 6-1 thrashing of French club Lille in the UEFA Champions League (Salomon Kalou’s goal is worth watching), and the experienced centre forward duly delivered, scoring the third fastest hat-trick in the competitions history.

He will hope that this kick-starts his season, as the form of Mandzukic, and the imminent return of Gomez, mean that the striker may not get much playing time if he continues his barren form in the Bundesliga.

Follow @MattMorlidge