Bayern Munich went to Portugal to take on Benfica and it turned out to be all about one man; Renato Sanches. The young Portuguese international was returning to his boyhood club and he seized the opportunity of a rare start. With both Thiago and Corentin Tolisso out injured, Sanches reminded the world of the talent he has.
Renato Sanches Stars as Bayern Beat Benfica
An Unusual Journey
It’s been a bit of an odyssey for Renato Sanches since he left Benfica. After playing a starring role for Portugal at Euro 2016, he earned himself a big money move to Bayern two summers ago. Since then he has not only failed to impress, but he hasn’t played well enough to stay on the field; at Bayern or on loan at Swansea.
But today was his best outing in a Bayern shirt. His impact was felt immediately when he made multiple runs in the first ten minutes, driving the ball through midfield. One of his runs set up the first goal, where he fed Franck Ribery, who laid it off to David Alaba, who crossed to Robert Lewandowski; 1-0.
But by no means did Bayern dominate this game; Benfica had plenty of chances and even dictated the possession for stretches of the first half. Bayern are clearly not as possession-based as they used to be. Under Niko Kovac, they want to be more aggressive in their possession instead of the circulation under Guardiola.
Second Half
When the second half began it pretty much more of the same, with Bayern Munich dictating the play, but still allowing Benfica their chances. After about ten minutes, though, Bayern got another breakthrough. It started at the back with Joshua Kimmich in possession on the sideline, making a great pass to Arjen Robben, who redirected the ball infield with the inside of his left foot.
From there, Renato Sanches picked the ball up and made another massive lung-busting run through the midfield. Very similar to the run on the first goal, Sanches took the ball 50+ yards, bouncing off Benfica challenges. The run ended with him playing it to Ribery, who laid it off for James Rodriguez, who played a beautiful cross for the on running Sanches to finish. 2-0, the perfect goal for Sanches.
Bayern just had too much quality for Benfica. Sanches playing this well is about the best outcome for Bayern in this game. With Corentin Tolisso most likely out until late spring, Sanches will be given a chance to step into his place; a chance he will have to take for his Bayern career to continue beyond this season.
But overall, Bayern will be pleased with their team performance away. In a group that features Ajax and AEK Athens, this was likely their toughest test and they easily handled it. We will have to see if Renato Sanches can build on the back of this great performance. If he does, it will be a huge boost to Bayern Munich.
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