Bayern Munich: Leroy Sane receives confidence boost during international break
It has been a disappointing start to the campaign for Leroy Sane with Bayern Munich. After a year of settling in Bavaria, Sane was expected to hit the ground running this season. Despite the effort from the winger, the first three league games were not exactly productive for him. His poor performances were not taken lightly by the Bavarian faithful as he was jeered during 3-2 win against FC Koln.
Julian Nagelsmann protected the winger in the media and brought him out of the firing line by replacing him with Jamal Musiala in the starting XI against Hertha Berlin. The German coach was vindicated by this move as Musiala shone in this game, while Sane bagged an assist after coming off the bench in the second half.
Leroy Sane needs a confidence booster to get back to his best after two tough seasons with injuries and poor form. The recently concluded international break has provided the ideal springboard to kick on and find consistency in his performances at the club.
Hansi Flick gave good amount of playing time to Sane across three world qualifiers against Liechtenstein, Armenia, and Iceland. The 25-year-old winger played 209 minutes out of possible 270 minutes across three games and, most importantly, all three games he was handed starts.
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Along with getting minutes under his belt, Sane also made the most out of these opportunities. The former Manchester City winger found the back of the net against Liechtenstein. He managed to score and set up one against Iceland on Wednesday, while the performance against Armenia was also bright. (Stats courtesy: Whoscored)
Flick also spoke glowingly about Sane’s performances during the international break. Moreover, a potential switch to the left flank will also reap the rewards for Sane in the long run. Nagelsmann is not ruling out using him in other positions, but for now, the German manager may stick with him on the left flank.
The German winger is a more direct forward that can cause damage in the final third with his dribbling and terrific final ball. He managed to achieve efficiency in both aspects during the second and third seasons at Manchester City. Sane did have good attacking output, but the consistency in performances was lacking.
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The international break has served Leroy Sane well, so much improved performances are likely to follow in the coming weeks. Moreover, the persistent support shown by his teammates in the media is also likely to fill him in confidence. It does look like a matter of when rather than if that Sane gets into his groove for Die Roten.