Makaay missing magic formula

Goalscoring mantle
At the start of the season, it was hard to see how any other marksman could match the magnificent Makaay as he scored six times in Bayern's opening three Bundesliga games. Three months on, however, Paraguay's Santa Cruz has taken up the scoring mantle with the Dutch international enduring a rare drought.

Nervous striker
After being sidelined for several weeks with a painful knee injury, the 30-year-old has been misfiring, but coach Felix Magath believes Makaay's problem is not physical. "Roy stopped scoring when people started wondering whether he would be able to break Gerd Müller's record of 40 strikes in one season," he said.

Mental block
However, Magath is sure Makaay's magic touch will return. "As long as he is getting chances to score, I am not concerned," he said. "He has been doing what he should in front of goal. Once he breaks his duck, he will strike again. He just has to stay hungry and he will get through this."

Purple patch
If the illustrious No10 is going through a lean spell, Santa Cruz has hit something of a purple patch, registering in each of his last three Bundesliga matches. After a year of injuries in which he also had to deal with the death of his brother, the 24-year-old is back on song.

Potential giant
"Roque has the potential to become a big player," said Magath, who in recent months had criticised the work rate of a player who joined Bayern as a teenager in 1999. "These latest goals will help him improve even more."

Bewitching combination
The dream for Bayern is to have both strikers on devastating form, with the skilful, rangy Santa Cruz and the fox-in-the-box Makaay potentially a bewitching combination which could make an impact well beyond the Bundesliga.

Aiming high
With Bayern not having won the UEFA Champions League since 2000/01, Santa Cruz for one has his eyes on Europe's main prize. "We have a big mission to complete," he said. "At the end of this mission, there is [the final in] Paris." If some of his confidence can rub off on Makaay, it may not be mission impossible.