Bayern Munich is loyal to the post! At the top of the Bundesliga standings, tied on points with the sensation from the start of the season, Bayer Leverkusen, but with a better goal difference, the Rekordmeister has regained his former appearance. Certainly, the arrival with great fanfare of Harry Kane during the last summer transfer window allowed the Bavarian club to find a real number 9 as well as a real goal-scoring machine (already 7 pawns and 3 assists in 5 games ). However, the Munich team has an additional asset up its sleeve in the person of Leroy Sané. Scorer against Bochum last weekend (7-0), the German international (55 caps, 12 goals) is no stranger to his team’s success at the start of the season.
Leroy Sané has regained confidence!
Author of 5 goals in 7 matches in all competitions, the native of Essen is regaining color and making a series of starts under the orders of Thomas Tuchel at the end of a 2022-23 season in flux. Capable of dazzling moments as he has shown on numerous occasions in recent years, the player trained at Schalke 04 was less sharp during Bayern Munich’s major meetings, particularly on the European scene. Although he generally displays honorable personal statistics over the entire year (44 matches, 14 goals, 9 assists including tax), the 27-year-old winger had a turbulent second half of the year. Weakened by repeated physical problems, Leroy Sané has also made a lot of talk about him off the field due to his falling out with Sadio Mané.
If this controversy resulted in the departure of the Senegalese, the ex-Citizen was not spared from criticism. To top it off, his involvement in training and his nonchalance were often criticized at the time when Julian Nagelsmann was coach. But the arrival of Thomas Tuchel at the head of Bayern Munich last March seems to have changed the situation at a time when the German press was reporting a certain uneasiness for the 27-year-old player in Bavaria. A great admirer of the German star when he played for Manchester City, the ex-Chelsea coach spoke at length with the main player, reminding him of his desire to make him an essential cog in his team. Subsequently, Thomas Tuchel walked the talk by repositioning him as a right winger to make the most of his potential. Thus, the former Dortmund manager took the opposite approach to Julian Nagelsmann’s approach, who tended to use the German on the left and sometimes in the center to relieve Jamal Musiala. Since then, the Essen native seems to have appreciated his coach’s playing philosophy and tactical rigor, which has allowed him to gain confidence.
A budding bond with Harry Kane!
Enjoying the absolute confidence of his coach and his management, all that was missing was the arrival of Harry Kane for Leroy Sané to regain his influence within a well-oiled Bavarian collective. Aligned on the right side, the native of Essen immediately formed a pair with the top scorer in the history of the Three Lions. Proof of this is the opening match against Werder Bremen (4-0) where both men shone. Launched by the Englishman, the German found the net after four minutes of play before scoring twice in added time. The Walthamstow native’s style of play, capable of stalling to destabilize the opposing defense or to serve as a fixation point for his partners, suits Leroy Sané perfectly. The complicity between the two men was felt again in the Champions League against Manchester United (4-3) and recently against Bochum (7-0). If the former Spurs scorer was the great architect of his team’s big victory by scoring a hat-trick and scoring two goals, Leroy Sané left his mark on the meeting by actively contributing to Munich’s offensive actions through his creativity, his dribbling and excellent physical fitness. Served on a platter by Harry Kane, the Bayern Munich left winger was rewarded with a new goal, bringing his total to 4 goals in 5 Bundesliga matches.
“I’m very confident. He does what we know he can do. Physically, he’s a machine. It can produce endless intense runs. His state of mind is good, his body language is good. What we see is his level. Obviously, there is still improvement, but Leroy (Sané editor’s note) is in very good shape. I saw from the first day that he wanted to improve”, rejoiced Thomas Tuchel. On the sidelines of the match counting for the first round of the German Cup against Münster on Monday, the German coach perfectly summed up the great bond between the German star and the flagship recruit of Bayern Munich this summer. “I said at the beginning that Harry as a personality, as a partner, as a character, will make the players around him better, through the way he plays, through his presence. Harry does what he always does. Him and Leroy are a good combination. It’s not just the two, but it’s very evident with them right now… It helps that Leroy speaks English fluently as a second native language and communication is very easy”confided the 50-year-old tactician in the columns of Sports Bild. An opinion also shared by the boss of the reigning German champion, Uli Hoeness: “The whole team was delighted. When I watch Leroy Sané for a few weeks, my heart laughs.
There is no doubt that Thomas Tuchel hopes to take advantage of his two main offensive assets, involved in 13 of the 22 goals scored by Bayern Munich since the restart, for the upcoming deadlines. For his part, Leroy Sané will try to ride the same dynamic against RB Leipzig this Saturday (6:30 p.m.). The task promises to be far from easy for the Munich team as their next opponent is also in sparkling form, despite an inaugural defeat on the pitch at Bayer Leverkusen (3-2). Severely beaten by the Saxons in the German Super Cup final (0-3) last August, the Bavarians also have revenge to take!
