Bayern Munich: Thomas Tuchel expects Leroy Sane to excel in Ruckrunde

Bayern Munich have been more than decent in the first half of the Bundesliga as they ended Hinrunde with a 2-1 win against Wolfsburg on Wednesday. They are currently second in the league with one game in hand over all clubs and four points behind Bayer Leverkusen. Bayern have lost only one game, which was a devastating 5-1 defeat away at Eintracht Frankfurt.

The defending champions have been brilliant to watch in the final third. Harry Kane has seamlessly adapted to the Bundesliga, scoring 21 goals in 15 league games this season. The English striker also has five assists to his name.

After Harry Kane, Leroy Sane has been Die Roten’s best forward this season. The German winger has scored eight goals in the league, along with having eight assists to his name. Sane is loving life under Thomas Tuchel with a settled role in the team.

The German winger did have a quiet end to Hinrunde, as he managed only one assist in the last six league games. However, his performances have been fairly decent during this phase. While talking to the media after the game on Wednesday (via iMiaSanMia), Thomas Tuchel backed Sane to be at his best in Ruckrunde.

""He's not been as spectacular as before since the last international break, but I think that's also normal. He was very strong and hard-working against Stuttgart. We played 4-4-2 back then and he had to help a lot defensively on his side, he did that today as well. Overall, I rate his performance in the first half of the season very highly. He played almost every game for us and I'm very happy with him. I hope he will keep it up in the new year.""

- Thomas Tuchel on Leroy Sane

In the last three seasons, Sane had often struggled for consistency in performances. He has always delivered good numbers in the final third, but he has the potential to score 20 goals and 20 assists over a campaign.

Things have been different this season for Sane. He has been a constant threat for Die Roten in games when he failed to score or assist. Moreover, there has been a significant improvement from him out of possession. The German forward works hard defensively and makes sure that he tracks the runners in the final third.

Sane has been one of the most consistent wingers in Europe. He has firmly cemented his place in Tuchel’s best starting XI at Bayern. The last few weeks shouldn’t be a concern for Bayern and Tuchel. After playing so many games, a short break may help Sane to regroup and get back amongst goals and assist at the start of Ruckrunde.

Meanwhile, Bayern are eager to extend Sane’s contract beyond 2025. FC Barcelona and Liverpool have shown interest in the German forward, but he has hinted towards extending his stay in Munich. The coming months may see contract talks accelerated between Sane’s representatives and Bayern.