"The goal was for Mario" – Augsburg's Felix Götze on his equaliser at Bayern Munich
Felix Götze has dedicated his last-gasp equaliser for Augsburg against Bayern Munich to his brother Mario, even if he also admitted that it was a strange feeling to notch his first Bundesliga goal against his former side.
After helping Augsburg become the first team to take points off the record champions this season, the 20-year-old found his phone flooded with messages of congratulations after the 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena. Among the well-wishers was his older brother Mario, who has given Felix plenty of valuable advice over the years. The Borussia Dortmund star even popped in to watch him play for the Bayern reserves on several occasions last season.
"We'll always support each other," Felix said on Tuesday night. "He'll be happy for me and I'll always be happy for him. The goal proves that we Götzes are capable of many things. Mario will come back stronger, like he was before. The goal was for him."
The hero of the 2014 FIFA World Cup final wasn't the only man keen to fete Felix. The young centre-back has made a very positive impression since joining Augsburg this summer – after four seasons with the Bayern youth teams and reserves – and his teammates were clearly delighted to see him open his account for Die Fuggerstädter.
"From day one, we've been happy that he's here," declared fellow defender Martin Hinteregger. "I was really surprised by how developed he was, by the level of his performances in training and friendlies. It's always good to see him coming off the bench. We have faith in Felix. He'll keep improving in the coming weeks and months and become a really strong player."
Götze even garnered praise from the Bayern camp, despite putting something of a damper on club chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge's 63rd birthday celebrations – and preventing Niko Kovac from matching Carlo Ancelotti's record of eight wins in his first eight games in charge.
"Felix is a great guy, and a good footballer," said Bayern defender Mats Hummels. "If he hadn't scored against us, we probably would have enjoyed it a bit more! But we're happy for him anyway, even if he didn't necessarily have to choose today to get his first goal."
"I'm not exactly pleased Felix scored his first goal against us," echoed captain Manuel Neuer. "But it's good for him personally. He was always willing to learn here."
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Götze himself seemed to have some mixed feelings about scoring his first senior goal against Bayern, where he signed his first professional contract in May 2017. Though he was technically a member of the first-team squad in 2017/18, he only made it onto the bench three times during the Bundesliga season and didn't get a chance to make his debut with the record champions. Nevertheless, his celebrations on Matchday 5 were fairly muted.
"When you score your first goal, you want to go completely crazy and get lost in the moment," he admitted. "But I wouldn't be who I am without Bayern. I owe a lot to the club. I spent four years here and everyone treated me very well."
Scoring against his old side may have presented Götze with a "minor dilemma", but he also described it as the "icing on the cake", and Augsburg will certainly be hopeful that he can kick on from his memorable night at the Allianz Arena. The club have finished in the bottom half in the past three Bundesliga seasons, and will need all the help they can get to ensure they don't get dragged into another relegation scrap.
"I'm only 20," Götze concluded. "I have to be patient, but I'll keep pushing and waiting for opportunities. If I can continue to use them like I did against Bayern, I'll happily accept that."