Leroy Sané silenced his critics with a standout performance, scoring two goals as Bayern Munich secured a dominant 5-0 victory over Hoffenheim on Wednesday, extending their lead at the top of the Bundesliga to four points. The match came at a crucial time for Sané, whose contract is set to expire at the end of the season, leading to increased scrutiny over his future at the club. Former Bayern legend Lothar Matthäus, speaking prior to the match, suggested that Sané has not met expectations since his transfer from Manchester City in 2020, casting doubt on the likelihood of a contract extension.
Sané quickly made his mark on the game, netting the opener in the seventh minute with a powerful shot into the far corner, following a clever layoff from Thomas Müller. His celebration hinted at the pressure he has faced from critics. Müller later praised Sané’s performance, noting, “You always want to shake him, that he just does something and doesn’t think too much. And today he did a lot and didn’t think too much and he looked good.” Just five minutes later, Raphaël Guerreiro doubled Bayern’s lead, scoring his first Bundesliga goal of the season after a slick one-two with Harry Kane. Kane then converted a penalty in the 26th minute, marking his 16th goal of the season, before Sané added his second after the break with an assist from Mathys Tel. Substitute Serge Gnabry capped off the scoring shortly after entering the match, as Sané departed to applause from the fans.
In other Bundesliga action, Stuttgart put pressure on RB Leipzig in the race for Champions League qualification, defeating them 2-1 despite Leipzig initially taking the lead through Benjamin Šeško. Controversy surrounded the match as Stuttgart protested a foul in the buildup to Leipzig’s goal. However, Stuttgart equalized through Jacob Bruun Larsen and then took the lead with a goal from Nick Woltemade. Leipzig’s woes were compounded by the late red cards shown to Šeško and Loïs Openda, leaving them with only nine players for the final moments. Meanwhile, Bochum edged St. Pauli 1-0 in a relegation battle, thanks to a spectacular second-half goal from Philipp Hofmann, although they remain at the bottom of the table. Union Berlin also suffered a setback under new coach Steffen Baumgart, losing 2-0 at home to Augsburg. In a thrilling encounter, Heidenheim managed to secure a 3-3 draw against Werder Bremen with a last-minute equalizer from Leonardo Scienza.
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