National team coach Julian Nagelsmann has explained his decision to once again include Leroy Sané in the starting eleven for Germany’s second World Cup group stage match against Ivory Coast.
Nagelsmann emphasized that he expects Sané to «again show the defensive diligence he also had against Curaçao,» stating that he anticipated the same work ethic in defense from Sané for Saturday’s game, following the 7-1 victory in the World Cup opener.
Sané’s nomination for the World Cup had already faced some criticism due to his inconsistent season with Galatasaray. Following the 30-year-old’s performance against Curaçao, he received the lowest public rating among the DFB stars, despite demonstrating significant effort.
«If he scores from his two great chances, he’ll probably get a completely different evaluation,» Nagelsmann defended his player. He added that Sané has recently been «diligently practicing his finishing individually in training. He was sprinting a lot against Curaçao, and he should do that again today.»
Furthermore, Nagelsmann highlighted the importance of Sané supporting his fullback, Joshua Kimmich, on the right side of defense against the lightning-fast wingers of Ivory Coast, such as Leipzig’s Youssouf Fofana. «But he did that; he’s not someone who lets the team down. He just needs to play to his strengths, and then he will bring us a lot of joy,» said Nagelsmann.
Captain Kimmich Also Defended Him: Leroy Sané Remains in DFB Starting XI
Nagelsmann also stressed that Sané’s exemplary performance of his defensive duties against Curaçao, a player previously criticized for a lack of defensive discipline, was not solely down to him. «We work a lot with video evidence, and we also have guys in the team who talk to the other players and tell them what they need as a group. It’s not always just the coach doing the work, but also the players,» the national team coach stated.
He likely had leading players like captain Kimmich in mind. Kimmich had already demonstratively stood by Sané a few days prior, saying, «I’ve noticed that and I really don’t understand the criticism, especially after a 7-1. I found him extremely committed, especially in his transitions. He never left me alone; he always sprinted back,» Kimmich praised at a press conference.
Before the match against Ivory Coast, former Freiburg coach Christian Streich, speaking as a TV expert, emphasized the importance of Sané’s dedication to the team’s cohesion: «Leroy Sané missed two or three chances against Curaçao, but that wasn’t decisive. What was decisive was that he had good transitional movements and won balls. You can always miss chances. But this way, Kimmich can argue in the press conference as captain and say: Sané did everything for the team. That makes the team grow together, that builds trust. That’s how you can say: let them talk outside, we know he did it.»
Germany vs. Ivory Coast with Leroy Sané: The DFB Team’s Lineup
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| GOAL | Manuel Neuer |
| DEFENSE | Joshua Kimmich, Jonathan Tah, Nico Schlotterbeck, Nathaniel Brown |
| MIDFIELD | Aleksandar Pavlovic, Felix Nmecha — Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz |
| ATTACK | Kai Havertz |