Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann has backed winger Leroy Sané after his goal drought at major tournaments continued with another wasteful display in the team's otherwise impressive opening World Cup win against Curaçao.
The 2014 winners' campaign got off to an excellent start in Houston, with eight players involved in goals and assists in Sunday's 7-1 victory.
Notably absent among them was Sané, who spurned two excellent chances and failed to get on the scoresheet despite playing the full 90 minutes.
While he has scored a respectable 17 goals in his 77 games for the national side, the former Manchester City forward, who now plays for Galatasaray, is yet to find the net in 13 matches at major tournaments, across European Championships in 2016, 2021 and 2024, and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The 30-year-old was not seen as likely to start for Germany at this year's World Cup, but injuries to Bayern Munich forwards Serge Gnabry and Lennart Karl have opened the door for him to finally make his mark on football's biggest stage.
Sané did not take his chance to convince sceptical German fans in Houston, but Nagelsmann offered his backing after the game.
"When it comes to Leroy, the first thing to consider is how much he puts into the game. He put in a huge amount of effort; he was hard-working in every transition situation. He was very involved, both in attack and defence," the coach said.
He referenced a big chance in the first half, when Sané was played through by a brilliant ball from Florian Wirtz but scuffed his effort.
"He was a bit unlucky with the finish, but it wasn't exactly a walk in the park either," Nagelsmann said. "He ran a lot and was moving about a great deal."
Sané himself was unfazed by the missed opportunities. "I’m not worrying about it. We scored plenty of goals, and that’s what it was all about. For me, the most important thing is that we win."
But he did add: "I hope the first goal comes soon."
