Leroy Sané from FC Bayern Munich: the sprint into the heart of Bavaria

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Leroy Sané from FC Bayern

Photo: CHRISTOF STACHE / AFP

Coach Hansi Flick doesn't like to talk about individual players.

Usually not at all.

Flick then evades and speaks of the Munich team, of the performance of the collective, not that of the individual.

On Sunday, Flick made an exception.

Then he talked about Leroy Sané, who hadn't even been in the starting XI.

But he had to go out early because Serge Gnabry was injured.

Flick's conclusion was later: "That was what we and the Leroy team wanted to see." Hansi Flick was satisfied.

It also crunched in the 2-1 win against SC Freiburg on matchday 16.

FC Bayern had to worry right into the final minutes, but now they are prematurely confirmed as the best team in the first half of the season, even if that was more of a side note on this cold afternoon in Munich.

It was important for the master to get back on track.

Oliver Kahn, the future club boss, demanded after the defeats in Gladbach and at the sensational cup-out in Kiel that one had to "get to the new year as soon as possible".

That succeeded, even if it was very close, in the final minutes Nils Petersen almost made it 2-2 - but his shot hit the crossbar.

Freiburg was brave, Bayern won the game.

And a lot worked better, especially the back four, which were so error-prone recently, could no longer be duped regularly as in previous games.

Everything seemed a little more stable.

The remarkable realization of the game was not the first step back on the road to success.

But that Leroy Sané, who was signed by Manchester City in the summer, seems to have arrived at Bayern.

And Flick's special praise after the game wasn't so much about the offensive arts of the winger, for which they in particular transferred the transfer of 45 million euros to England.

The winning goal by Thomas Müller was prepared by Sané.

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After his winning goal, Thomas Müller only has eyes for one team mate: Leroy Sané

Photo: Sven Hoppe / dpa

Much more impressive, however, was a moment five minutes before the end - when Sané sprinted 50 or even 60 meters back over the pitch after an error of his own and Freiburg's Vincenzo Grifo took the ball.

He defused the situation.

It is an action that has so far been seen too seldom by Sané.

In similar situations he had often stopped, sometimes quarreling, sometimes listless.

Flick therefore praised “the giant sprint Leroy set to the rear.

But also that he worked well against the ball several times. «Flick meant the many scenes in which Sané put his ball-carrying opponents under pressure, became uncomfortable and biting.

Flick clearly emphasized Sané's defensive work.

Maybe he wanted to say, look here, Sané fits very well in Munich.

Shortly before Christmas, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was not entirely sure.

The club boss said about Sané: "He has not yet internalized this FC Bayern gene." A big word that probably nobody outside of Munich really knows what it means.

Although Sané had great talent, Rummenigge said at the time in a »one-two«, but Sané had to work on his attitude and he named Thomas Müller as a role model.

Teammates cheer Sané

In the past few months, Flick has never tired of facing last summer's star shopping.

He kept reminding of the severe cruciate ligament injury that forced Sané to take a long break in Manchester.

He needs time to find his role in Munich.

But he would make it, Flick was always sure.

The win against Freiburg also made it clear how much the whole team is keen to integrate their new teammate.

They know how important Sané is in top shape.

It was also symbolic of the fact that after his winning goal, Müller pointed his finger at the passer-by, roared his first name fervently and hugged Sané.

“It was not an easy week for him,” said Jérôme Boateng later, “he had some unfortunate scenes.

Maybe he's been a little tense lately, so it's important that we support him and that's why we keep taking him with us. «Leon Goretzka also spoke of Sané's» top mentality, especially in the last 15 minutes, like him there sprints backwards again «.

The Bundesliga, the Club World Cup, the Champions League - it will be a long season for FC Bayern.

Even without the DFB Cup.

In any case, Leroy Sané will have more opportunities to distinguish himself.

Icon: The mirror