Mats Hummels impressed by Bayern Munich teammate Renato Sanches
Bayern Munich defender Mats Hummels has heaped praise on his young teammate, Renato Sanches, after his impressive performances this season.
The Bavarians dropped points in the Bundesliga for the first time this season, when they drew 1-1 with Augsburg on Tuesday. Bayern Munich conceded a late equalizer against their Bavarian rivals after squandering several chances of their own. The defending champions still sit at the top of the league table, but their seven-game winning streak has come to an end.
Despite the disappointing result, Niko Kovac had some positive takeaways from this game. Most importantly was the performance of Renato Sanches. The Portuguese midfielder got his first Bundesliga start of this season after impressing against Benfica in the Champions League last week.
Speaking recently to Sport Bild, Mats Hummels showered praise on Sanches for his displays against Augsburg and Benfica. The German hailed Sanches for his combination of physical prowess with fine technical abilities.
"“He has given himself outstanding chances with his irresistible start to the season.“He is a player who shakes off the opponent when he picks up speed. We do not really have that kind of player in our team. He has great physical potential.”"
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Kovac also had good words to say about Sanches, comparing him to Bayern legend Lothar Matthaus. Praise has been overflowing for the 21-year-old since he returned to Bavaria over the summer. His impressive performances in preseason even helped him earn back his spot on the Portuguese national team.
Sanches joined Bayern Munich in 2016 after a sensational debut season with Benfica. There was interest from several top European clubs, but Sanches chose to join Bayern. His first season in Munich was a complete nightmare, though, as he struggled to get regular gametime and looked a shadow of himself in the limited opportunities he got that season.
Bayern Munich were reportedly considering his sale last summer, but he eventually joined Swansea City on a one-year loan deal. The change of scenery hardly helped him, as he continually struggled to adapt to the Premier League. Moreover, he picked up a few key injuries that kept him out of action for much of the season. His development was completely stalled, forcing him to lose his spot on the Portuguese national team ahead of the World Cup.
Sanches came back to Bayern in the summer amidst much speculation about his future at the club. He was once again linked with both a temporary and permanent move away from the club. Benfica, Paris Saint-Germain and other Premier League clubs were all listed as possible destinations for the central midfielder. Sanches impressed Niko Kovac, however, who incorporated the 21-year-old into his plans for the season.
Next. Renato Sanches needs consistent minutes to reach his best. dark
Bayern Munich reduced the number of midfielders at the club by selling Sebastian Rudy and Arturo Vidal over the summer. With Corentin Tolisso also out for the majority of the season, now is the perfect opportunity for Sanches to establish himself as a key player for the Bavarians. He has enjoyed a fine start to the season, but he needs to make sure that this is not a false dawn for him at Bayern.