Eighty minutes later, the decision was made on Leroy Sané’s return to the Germany team.
“He had two good moments that led to goals,” Nagelsmann told RTL afterwards. “The first goal was exceptionally well scored. His touch is fantastic and playing such a quick cross on his right foot is really strong. He played well and that’s the thing.”
Nagelsmann had spent much of the week facing questions about the selection of Leroy Sané, with many fans and parts of the media not being particularly thrilled with the winger’s return to the team.
Nagelsmann acknowledged that Sane no longer has “countless opportunities”, but that he is a “really good cookie” who handles pressure really well. And in his 71st cap, the 29-year-old showed why he is still a winger who can decide games.
Sane left his mark
Immediately after the restart, Sane timed his run perfectly, just behind the defender’s run. His first touch needed to be perfect to make the most of the space ahead of him, and it was. The cross that followed ensured Nick Voltmead remained onside as it came back to him, heading the right way for the Newcastle striker to give Germany the lead. A sprint, a touch and a pass , It was everything about Sane that made her so attractive.
He was also involved in the second goal, with a smart pass inside that started the move. His ability to cut inside almost resulted in an own goal, but his radar was slightly off.
Sane later said, “I’m really excited to be back. It’s a lot of fun and always an honor to represent your country.”
“Julian knows me very well and knows how I work as a person. He gives me a lot of love and a lot of strictness every now and then, so it works very well.”
It is the first time Sane has been selected for his country after joining Turkish side Galatasaray in the summer. He last featured for Germany in the Nations League Final Four defeat to Portugal in the summer.
A moment of Sane’s brilliance, Oliver Baumann’s reliability and Voltmead’s increasingly convincing composure proved to be the only real highlights on an otherwise inauspicious night for Germany. The Newcastle striker later even said, “I know this game wasn’t worth watching, but we got three points and that’s what matters.”
Unlike Sinsheim, playing with 11 men for most of the game gave Luxembourg the chance to show how far they have come, but their inability to take their chances is a big reason why they remain idle in Group A.
proving the right thing at the right time
Much has been said and written about Leroy Sane. Indeed, there were similar noises in 2022 as to whether he was going to be left out of another World Cup squad due to his inconsistency.
But, in a Germany game that will soon be forgotten, he did what he was asked and took his chance. He is in the team to provide the difference in one-on-one situations, and it was that skill that opened the door for Germany.
Four consecutive wins, three clean sheets , After a poor start, Germany has done what was expected of them, even if not as well.
Another late goal by Slovakia means all eyes are on Germany’s final World Cup qualifier in Leipzig on Monday. Both countries enter the final game level on 12 points, but Germany is in first place on the basis of better goal difference. A draw would be enough, but Nagelsmann’s team will want more than just a better performance than Luxembourg. They will be looking to avenge that shocking defeat in Bratislava in September.
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