Being late December, it’s not unheard of for Santa Claus to venture far from his gaff in the North Pole.
That said, you still wouldn’t expect to see him charging down the Bayern Munich left flank, would you?
However, that’s exactly what appeared to happen during the German champions’ 3-0 win over RB Leipzig on Wednesday night.
An electronic pitch-side advertising board showed Santa moving from left to right. At precisely that moment, Bayern’s Thiago Alcantara had possession of the ball in the middle of the pitch.
Having spotted the movement of somebody dressed in red and white out of the corner of his eye, the Spanish international rolled a pass towards them.
However, he mistook the animated Santa for a teammate.
Fortunately for Thiago, one of his teammates was able to stop the ball going out for a Leipzig throw. Although plenty watching the game were quick to pick up on what had happened.
When Thiago Alcantara thought Santa played for Bayern… 😂 https://t.co/FELUSTTkqF
— Joe Crann (@YesWeCrann) December 22, 2016
Bayern won the game 3-0.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side signed off for the winter break having established a three-point gap at the top of the Bundesliga over second-placed Leipzig, who have exceeded expectations since their promotion last season.
Thiago opened the scoring in the game, with Xabi Alonso and Robert Lewandowski scoring the other two Bayern goals.