As he gets ready for his first season in the Bundesliga, the Senegalese attacker demonstrated his skill at taking free kicks.
After showcasing his skill with his precise free-kick drills during shooting practice at the Allianz Arena, Sadio Mane has warned Serge Gnabry, a teammate from Bayern Munich, to expect competition on set-piece duties next season.
The Senegalese forward scored on all three of his free-kick attempts as the German powerhouses get ready for the 2022–23 Bundesliga season, which begins next month. On August 5, Bayern will begin their title defense away at Eintracht Frankfurt.
"We're three for three. In a video footage shared on the Bundesliga Instagram page, Mane can be heard saying, "Serge, you're going to have issues next season.
Leroy Sane, Joshua Kimmich, and Thomas Muller occasionally helped out with the set-piece duties for Bayern last season, but now that Robert Lewandowski has moved on to Barcelona, Gnabry is expected to be given greater responsibility.
Now that Mane is demonstrating that he has what it takes, it appears that things won't be as simple. The Senegal forward will be encouraged by the knowledge that Gnabry has yet to score a free-kick goal since joining Bayern four years ago.
Mane, on the other hand, scored three goals from free kicks in his eight seasons in the Premier League—two for Southampton and one in six seasons at Liverpool, when he was not the designated taker of set pieces.
If the increased rivalry among Bayern's free-kick takers increases effectiveness, Bayern will stand to gain significantly.
In 183 games that have resulted in four Bundesliga championships, a Champions League title, and two DFL Pokal crowns, Gnabry has scored 67 goals and provided 32 assists. On Saturday, he signed a new five-year contract with Bayern that puts an end to rumors about his future and guarantees his stay in Munich until 2027.
Mane, meantime, left Merseyside after six fruitful years and moved to Bayern on a three-year deal worth €32 million, with the possibility of an increase to €41 million, last month.
In 50 appearances in all competitions last season, Mane, who moved to Liverpool from Southampton in 2016, scored 23 goals, second only to Salah's 31.
The 2021 Africa Cup of Nations champion scored 120 goals in 269 games for Liverpool, helping the club to numerous championships including the Premier League, Champions League, FA, and Carabao cups.
Mane's penalty shots
Who ought to be Bayern's primary free-kick taker the following year?
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