SANE FIGHTS BACK
City star answers bigots with dazzling display
This was the evening Leroy sane finally announced himself on the international stage and the night Germany’s fortunes finally turned.
sane was exceptional, scoring one and dovetailing with Bayern Munich’s serge Gnabry, who added the second to hand Joachim Low’s side a two-goal half-time lead in Amsterdam.
For the first time in a long time, Low could breathe easier.
how Germany needed a night like this. This is a team that has see-sawed from crisis to humiliation over the past 18 months.
First came the calamitous exit from the World Cup in Russia. Then a bitter race row and a splintered dressing room saw Mesut Ozil turn his back on the country. They suffered the indignity of UEFA Nations League relegation. searching for answers, Low reached for the axe.
he dropped World Cup winners Jerome Boateng, Mats hummels and Thomas Muller from his squad entirely.
he placed his faith in sane from the start and then introduced Marco Reus minutes from the end. Both decisions paid off spectacularly.
On Thursday in Wolfsburg, sane had endured one of the most haunting nights of his professional career.
As Germany slumbered to a timid home draw against serbia, the Manchester City winger was subjected to racist abuse from his country’s own supporters.
But for sane to hide away would only satisfy the bigots.
instead, he delved into his resilience and produced the finest performance yet of his international career. his direct running, on and off the ball, gave Virgil van Dijk a rare chasing.
in the Nations League here in October, holland destroyed their neighbours 3-0. Low described his team as ‘headless chickens’ after that defeat and here they sought vengeance.
Germany were rapidly out of the blocks, sane teed up Gnabry whose well struck show stung the hands of Jesper Cillessen.
sane then drove a finish into the far corner from close range when Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt slipped over.
As Gnabry’s glorious curling strike nestled into the top corner, Joachim Low pumped the air twice with his fist and let out a roar. This seemed to be a return to normality.
Germany do not blow two-goal leads, do they? They do now.
holland missed out altogether on the last World Cup, but under Ronald Koeman they have reached the final four of the Nations League and a young side showed in the second half how good a side they may yet become.
They pressed frantically and moved the ball sharply to turn up the heat and rescue the game.
First De Ligt glanced in from a Memphis Depay cross and then former Manchester United forward Depay drilled in an equaliser.
As holland clawed their way back, a home winner appeared the more likely but instead Germany summoned their spirit and produced their one and only impressive move of the second half.
substitute Reus sped clear down the left and teed up Nico schulz to convert the last-gasp winner.