4 goals in 6 games
There was luck, yes, but you also have to earn luck. Leroy Sané broke through on the right and dribbled into the middle, his shot was not well placed, but then André Onana let the ball slip through his fingers and FC Bayern took the lead against Manchester United. In the end, Munich won 4-3, which was not least thanks to Sané, who put in a top performance and was named player of the match by UEFA.
“Leroy is one of the best wingers in the world and is in very, very good form at the moment,” said teammate Jamal Musiala. He is happy because Sané “is one of my best friends. It’s really fun to play and combine with him.” Sané especially has a soft spot for the Champions League; the goal against Manchester United was his tenth in the last ten group games. In fact, FCB has never lost in the premier class when Sané scored.
When Sané moved from Manchester City to Munich for 49 million euros in the summer of 2020 after a long transfer saga, there was the feeling that the winger could be the missing building block for a new era for the German record champions. Instead, he never managed to reach double-digit goals and assists in the Bundesliga, as was the case with Man City in the Premier League in 2017/18 and 2018/19 (for overview).
Although there are 79 goal involvements in 139 games, there are also fluctuating performances, as a look at his market value shows: it goes up and down almost every six months. In the update after the end of last season it lost again and fell from 70 million to 65 million euros, which five Bayern professionals beat. Coach Thomas Tuchel recently emphasized: “He now has to dominate the league in his position – also in terms of goals and assists, he is no longer a talent.” With the arrival of Harry Kane, who was brought in for a record fee of 100 million euros , Sané could now develop his full potential.
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It would be an exaggeration to say that Kane got Sané back on track, but a positive effect can be seen: In the Bundesliga, only Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy and Chris Führich have scored more goals together (10) than Kane and Sané (7 goals). But the most interesting aspect is that Sané’s role seems to have changed a bit with Kane on the pitch – from a pure winger to a player who can also act as a target player.
Sané on interaction with Kane: “Hope it continues like this”
In contrast to the last two seasons, in which Bayern played with Robert Lewandowski and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting up front, Kane sometimes plays a little deeper. Although he is still a full-time “nine,” he often acts almost like a playmaker, which was best observed with Sané’s first of two goals against Werder Bremen on matchday 1 (4-0). Kane initiated the ball at the halfway line.
Sané has had 23 ball contacts in the penalty area this Bundesliga season – that’s the second best value. Kane (15 ball contacts) ranks tenth. This figure underlines why Bayern broke their transfer record to sign the England captain: Kane is not only a guarantee of goals, but also highlights the players around him. The best example is Sané. “Everyone knows his qualities and he brings them to us really well. I hope it continues like this,” said the 27-year-old about his interaction with Kane.
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