Germany coach Nagelsmann backs Sané ahead of Ivory Coast match

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has backed winger Leroy Sané, granting him a spot in Saturday's starting lineup against Ivory Coast.

In Germany's 7-1 opening victory over Curaçao on Sunday, Sané spurned two excellent chances and failed to get on the scoresheet despite playing the full 90 minutes.

At a press conference on Friday, Nagelsmann criticized the public treatment of Sané.

"He has trained well. I'm not someone that can be swayed by the public opinion. I don't see why I should drop him."

Nagelsmann said he felt like people would always find something to criticize.

"Whether it's his goal numbers or his work ethic. My opinion is, he played well, he trained well and he will have a good match for us tomorrow."

Sané 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.

Nagelsmann said there was "no obvious reason" to change the starting lineup but the team was prepared for a variety of scenarios against Ivory Coast.

"They are physically very strong, which could cause us problems. Their pace and their quality in one-on-one situations are their biggest strengths."

A victory against Ivory Coast will guarantee Germany a place in the knock-out stages before the final group match against Ecuador.

"We want to win [...], that's the goal," Nagelsmann said.