Germany boss Loew faces calls to drop Sane for England clash

Germany head coach Joachim Loew is under pressure to shake up his starting side for Tuesday’s blockbuster Euro 2020 last 16 clash against England at Wembley and drop under-performing winger Leroy Sane.

As a replacement for Thomas Mueller, who was sidelined by a knee injury, Sane struggled on his first start of the tournament in the 2-2 draw against Hungary, with Germany needing a late equaliser to reach the knockout stages.

Sane made little impact up front, reflecting an inconsistent first season for Bayern Munich where the flashes of brilliance were all too few and far between.

When Sane failed to convert a chance from a corner against Hungary, whistles echoed around Munich’s Allianz Arena on Wednesday.

Former Germany midfielder Stefan Effenberg says Loew must react by dropping the 25-year-old for the England showdown.

“Loew shouldn’t start Sane, he is not doing the team any favours, but neither is Sane himself,” Effenberg told t-online.

“He (Sane) lacks self-confidence - and that means that he can’t use his fantastic abilities.”

Both Effenberg and Germany legend Lothar Matthaeus urge Loew to reconsider his midfield options and turn to players from Bundesliga powerhouse Bayern Munich.

“Jogi (Loew) trusts the wrong players. Above all, it was the Bayern players who pushed us through,” said Matthaeus.

Leon Goretzka, who came off the bench to score the crucial late goal against Hungary, is expected to start at Wembley having shaken off a leg injury.

Effenberg also wants to see more of 18-year-old Bayern midfielder Jamal Musiala, a substitute against Hungary, who “created more danger in the last eight minutes than Sane in the whole game”.

Matthaeus wants the Bayern midfield to start en masse against England with Joshua Kimmich switched from right-back to central midfield.

“I don’t just recommend Loew starts with Jamal Musiala, I recommend the whole Bayern midfield start,” said Matthaeus who captained West Germany to the World Cup title in 1990.

“Joshua Kimmich plays the ball deep, Leon Goretzka makes runs into the penalty area and Thomas Mueller organises the team - for me, that midfield has the quality to set the tone against any team,” explained Matthaeus.

To make way for Goretzka and Kimmich, Matthaeus suggested Loew drop two regulars in midfield.

“Nothing against Ilkay Gundogan and Toni Kroos, but with them, some things are missing that are urgently needed,” he added.

England can learn from Southgate’s Euro 96 heartache, says Henderson: Meanwhile, Jordan Henderson says Gareth Southgate’s response to his costly Euro 96 penalty miss against Germany showed the kind of mental strength that defines the current generation as they prepare for a rematch with their old rivals.

England manager Southgate was a 25-year-old player when he stepped up for the spot-kick that was saved by Andreas Kopke during Germany’s shoot-out win in the Euro 96 semi-finals at Wembley.

It was a bitter end to a tournament that still holds fond memories for England fans after their dramatic run to the last four.

Southgate recovered from the crushing blow to play for England for another eight years, enjoying a long Premier League career at Aston Villa and Middlesbrough before going into management.

With Germany set to face England at Wembley in the last 16 of the European Championship on Tuesday, Southgate’s perseverance has presented him with a chance for redemption.

And England midfielder Henderson believes the example set by his manager is one the players should draw from ahead of the blockbuster clash.

“It’s a good example. I can imagine the feeling he had at that moment in time,” Henderson told a press conference on Thursday.

“Things like that, you have to deal with it, move on and try and be a stronger person. If you speak to the gaffer, I’m sure he will say that for sure.

“A lot of us have been through adversity in our lives. Some way and some how you try and use that as motivation to be better. That’s where you grow and the mental strength is really important. You learn from your past experiences.”

One part of Southgate’s process of dealing with the miss wasn’t so popular.

Agencies