Prolific Pizarro eager for special Bayern return
By Karolos Grohmann
BERLIN (Reuters) - Werder Bremen's 37-year-old striker Claudio Pizarro is enjoying an Indian summer to his Bundesliga career, with his goals and creative play causing concern for former club Bayern Munich ahead of their clash on Saturday.
The Peruvian has once more lit up the Bundesliga with 11 goals this season after joining Werder for a third stint earlier in the campaign.
Nine of those have come since the start of this year, helping Werder to 13th spot and making him the league's top scorer since January.
Pizarro played at Bayern from 2001 to 2007 before returning in 2012 for another three seasons, mainly in a substitute forward role.
He won six league titles at Bayern, five German Cups and the treble in 2013, which included the Champions League, before returning to Werder in the summer, the club he had started his Bundesliga career back in the previous millennium.
The move was billed as a nostalgic one but the Bundesliga's all-time foreign scorer with 187 goals was in no mood for a last lap around the Weserstadion and now needs just one goal to become the club's top scorer of all time with 101.
"Obviously this will be a special game for me, against old team mates in the Allianz arena," Pizarro, who has also played for Werder from 1999-2001 and 2008-2012, told reporters.
"I hope we can beat Bayern, even better if it happens with a goal of mine."
ALWAYS SCORE
A crowd favourite wherever he has played, Pizarro is hugely respected by team mates and opponents alike.
Spectacular, quick and creative, the Peruvian has made an impact once more at Werder, winning back a starting spot midway through the season and his goals have lifted Werder out of the relegation zone.
He notched a hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen nine days ago and scored once and set up another other in their 4-1 victory over Hanover 96 on Saturday to leave Werder in 13th, three points above the relegation playoff spot.
"Claudio can always score when he is on the pitch, no matter who he is playing against," Werder sports director Thomas Eichin said.
"But it is not just that which makes him so valuable for us. He also conquers the ball, fights, everything he does is first class."
Bayern have a busy schedule ahead as they chase a treble of titles, with Juventus arriving in Munich next week for their Champions League round of 16 return leg.
The German champions are five points clear of second-placed Borussia Dortmund in the league but were wary about Pizarro's current form.
"You should not give Claudio a single metre on the pitch," said Bayern defender Rafinha. "He is ice cold in the box. Goals are his speciality."
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann. Editing by Patrick Johnston)