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This is how Leroy Sané’s first start at the European Championship went
Status: 23:25 | Reading time: 3 minutes
Got his first chance in the starting eleven at the European Championship: Leroy Sané
Source: REUTERS
Leroy Sané was preferred over Florian Wirtz in the round of 16 against Denmark. His start was promising, but the attacker remained unremarkable for long stretches. He will probably replace Wirtz again in the quarter-finals – as a joker from the bench.
He left shortly before the end, in the 88th minute to be precise, because this time he had already been on the pitch when the hymns were played. He was the last player to come on, but he was still there from the start: Leroy Sané, one of three substitutes that national coach Julian Nagelsmann had brought on for the round of 16 match against Denmark. Nico Schlotterbeck came on for the suspended Jonathan Tah, Patrick Raum replaced Maximilian Mittelstädt, and Sané was preferred for Florian Wirtz, who has been out of form recently.
A substitution that had been made in every European Championship game so far. Only this time – somewhat surprisingly – earlier. Against Scotland he had been substituted for the Leverkusen youngster in the 63rd minute, against Hungary he had come on after 58 minutes, and in the final group game against Switzerland he had played for a quarter of an hour. Quite typical for Sané, who had come off the bench in seven of his nine European Championship games.
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This time, there was no set playing time for the German number 19, who polarizes the country like no other national player and now played his first knockout game at a major tournament from the start. “They are all decisions for, not against. They are two world-class players. Today we decided on Leroy,” Nagelsmann explained his swap succinctly. “He can be a good option today. Especially when the spaces get a bit bigger,” said national player Robin Gosens, who was not nominated for the European Championship, on Magenta TV before kick-off: “The key will be to use the high pressing of the Danes to our advantage and to get into the deep runs with Leroy.”
Leroy Sané is hanging in the air
The first came in the 15th minute, but after a free kick from the Danes that got stuck in the German defense. Sané received the ball promptly, won his running duel, secured the ball and dribbled towards the penalty area to win a free kick from a promising position.
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Otherwise, his teammates were more likely to look for Jamal Musiala, Ilkay Gündogan or, with the odd vertical ball, Kai Havertz to go forward. Sané was actually intended to do exactly that, but he consistently held his position on the right offensive wing and was mostly hanging in the air there. The striking start – after nine seconds he made the first cross from the right side, after 37 seconds he lost his first tackle – should not be a sign of things to come.
Hello, balls: Leroy Sané was rarely searched for and found
Source: AFP/TOBIAS SCHWARZ
In the 33rd minute, the ball suddenly fell at his feet after a rebound in his own half. Sané first picked it up, then immediately took it with him, but got lost in the multi-legged Danish defense. Joakim Maehle stole the ball from his foot.
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Sané also had little influence on the German game in the second half. After an hour he did at least get a yellow card against Maehle, but before that he could have been awarded a free kick when Havertz missed a chance to make it 2-0 when an opponent ran into his heels and thus took away a possible passing option. His lowest point came in the 64th minute. Standing free, he shot wide of the goal from seven meters. It was probably also a consolation for him that it would have been offside.
Two minutes before the end of the 90 minutes, he was taken off the field by the national coach. The 28-year-old did not really make the most of his chance. Others made it clear that they had ambitions to be in the starting eleven. It is therefore quite possible that Nagelsmann will bring him back on for Wirtz in the quarter-finals – but not until the middle of the second half.
