Julian Nagelsmann went into the eve of Germany's second DFB-Gruppenspiel with a clear message for Leroy Sané: he sees no reason to take him out. One day before the match against the Elfenbeinküste, the Germany coach defended the 30-Jährigen after criticism from the opening match against Curacao and said Sané had trained well, worked on issues and made progress like the others.
That matters now because Germany can reach the knockout round of the World Cup group stage with a win on Samstag, 22 Uhr MESZ in the Sportschau-Audiostream. Nagelsmann also made plain that he is not letting the noise around the winger drive his decisions, saying he is not someone who gets pushed around and that Sané should again produce a good match.
Germany's opening game against Curacao ended 7:1, but the score did not end the debate over Sané. Nagelsmann said the winger had done exactly what he had been accused of not doing — working hard and moving — and argued that acceptance in the squad gives him confidence, while minutes on the pitch help even more. The coach's backing goes beyond a routine public defense; it is a sign that he still trusts the same attacking core that started the tournament.
At the same time, Nagelsmann stopped short of handing Sané a guaranteed place in the lineup. He said the staff would wait through the night to check whether all players are fit and healthy before deciding, which leaves open the possibility of late changes even though he said he sees no obvious reason to alter the starting eleven from the opening match. That is the one gap still left before kickoff: whether the coach turns his praise into another start.
The opponent makes that choice more delicate. The Elfenbeinküste beat Ecuador 1:0 with a late goal by Amad Diallo and, in Nagelsmann's view, bring far more pace up front and brutal physicality in midfield than Curacao did. Germany still go in needing only one result — a win — to secure their place in the next round, and Nagelsmann has made the target plain: they intend to play to win, with Sané likely to be part of that plan.
