Leroy Sané says Bayern Munich needs to make fewer mistakes after 4-3 win over Manchester United

Leroy Sané scored the first of four goals in Bayern Munich’s 4-3 win over Manchester United in the Champions League group stage opener, and he was officially given the man of the match award. His form has been amazing so far this season, as he’s showing far more consistency and confidence than he had in any of his previous seasons at Bayern since joining from Manchester City.

The 4-3 score line didn’t necessarily reflect the overall balance of play, as Bayern were the better side for 80-90% of the match, but they took their foot off the gas in the wrong moments. It’s no discredit to Manchester United or their goals, scored by Rasmus Hojlund or Casemiro (2), but Bayern had a level of control in the match in the first half that seemed to dissipate in the second half, especially after they had restored their two-goal cushion when Harry Kane converted a penalty kick just four minutes after Hojlund had scored.

After the match, Sané echoed the sentiment that Bayern needed to show more control in the match when they had the lead and not concede needless goals. Their only clean sheet of the season came on the opening match of the Bundesliga season, which was their 4-0 win at Werder Bremen, which is cause for some concern. “At the end of the day, we’re delighted to win our first Champions League game of the season and get our first three points. The game was a bit wild. We need to make fewer mistakes and control the game better at 2-0. For the fans it must have been fun with so many goals,” Sané told DAZN after the win over United (via @iMiaSanMia).

“Going forward it was great, but we also have to make less mistakes as a collective. There were a few too many tonight and, when we’re 2-0 up, we need to bring a bit more calm into games to control matches,” Bayern’s number 10 continued.

Had it not been for a slight mishap from United keeper André Onana for Sané’s goal, the match could’ve finished level, and the difference between three points and one in the group stages can make all the difference in the world. Dropping two points at home for Bayern would not have been a good way to start the tournament, but they’ll need to improve upon their defensive record as the competition progresses.

Photo by CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP via Getty Images

Looking for more analysis on the Bayern Munich vs. Manchester United match? Check out the Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame show on Spotify or below: