Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann says he is unsure why Leroy Sane has struggled for form this season, acknowledging that the winger has been far from his best in recent weeks.

However, Nagelsmann also hailed Sane's "incredible qualities' and backed him to improve, rejecting criticism of his frustrated reaction to being substituted in a 1-0 win over Augsburg.

Sane played 65 minutes of the Bundesliga leaders' hard-fought victory but managed just one shot and four touches in the visitors' penalty area before being replaced by Kingsley Coman.

A late penalty from Robert Lewandowski was enough to extend Bayern's unbeaten league run to seven games, but the former Manchester City winger's below-par display marked his fifth consecutive league game without a goal.

After the victory, the Bayern coach admitted he was perplexed by Sane's poor form but backed him to get back to his best and hailed the 26-year-old's "incredible" ability. 

"I like Leroy very much, as a person and as a player. Everyone knows that he has incredible qualities," Nagelsmann said.

"He is self-critical enough and knows himself that he hasn't recently played well. I don't know exactly why.

"He's had ups and downs throughout his career. I support him completely."

Sane has scored seven goals in 28 Bundesliga appearances this season, with only Lewandowski (32) and fellow winger Serge Gnabry (11) netting more often for the perennial champions. 

However, the latest of Sane's league goals came in a 1-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in mid-February, and the 26-year-old cut a frustrated figure when replaced against Augsburg, appearing to shake Nagelsmann's hand half-heartedly before making his way to the bench.

Nagelsmann, however, refused to criticise Sane for his reaction, and was keen to move swiftly on from the incident.

"I'm not angry, we don't have to make a headline out of it," Nagelsmann added.

Bayern are back in Champions League action on Tuesday as they attempt to recover from a 1-0 first-leg loss to Villareal when they welcome Unai Emery's team to Bavaria.

Sane has been in much better form on the European stage, recording six goals and six assists in the competition this season. Since Opta records began in 2003-04, those 12 goal contributions are the joint-most managed by a German player in one Champions League campaign, along with Mario Gomez in 2011-12 (12 goals, also playing for Bayern).

Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann says he is "happy" the Bundesliga leaders will not be stripped of their victory over Freiburg following their 12-man mix-up.

The German top-flight champions fielded an additional player briefly during Saturday's 4-1 league win, with Kingsley Coman staying on despite Nagelsmann making a double substitution.

Freiburg reluctantly lodged an appeal to the German Football Association (DFB) for their opponent to forfeit the result, though Nagelsmann may have been more preoccupied with a surprise midweek defeat.

Bayern were off the pace at Villarreal in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final as they fell to a 1-0 loss, but a positive decision for the Bavarian giants on the DFB's ruling was confirmed on Friday.

The league has decided to uphold the original result against Freiburg and the former RB Leizpig coach expressed his satisfaction after seeing the points preserved ahead of Saturday's game with Augsburg.

"I'm happy we keep the points," he told reporters at a pre-match news conference. "I think that's quite normal.

"What's important to me [is that] I'm in no way disappointed with Freiburg. The contest against the result has not changed that."

Bayern take a nine-point lead into their clash at Allianz Arena, but could well be more focused upon their return leg against Unai Emery's Villarreal in Europe.

Nagelsmann, however, says that both games are vital for him, laying out that he intends to rotate his side in order to help his squad find rhythm across two crucial games.

"We have a very important game on Tuesday, probably the most important game of the season," he stated. "But [in] the Bundesliga, we also have to give players some rhythm.

"We will certainly rotate on a few positions. We will let Niklas Sule play from start, we will let [Leon Goretzka] play from the start.

"Alphonso Davies will have a break and [we'll] give a couple [of other] players a little more rhythm for Tuesday.

"It's a very important game for us tomorrow that we are taking very seriously, and are determined and desperate to win."

One man expected to figure will be evergreen playmaker Thomas Muller, with the World Cup winner in line to feature against Augsburg.

If he does so, and if Bayern are victorious, the 32-year-old will become the first outfield player to amass 300 wins in the Bundesliga.

Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann admits his side deserved to lose their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Villarreal on Wednesday.

Arnaut Danjuma scored the only goal of the game in the eighth minute, and only wasteful finishing prevented the hosts from taking a greater lead to Germany for next week's second leg.

The result marked the first time Bayern have failed to score in a Champions League game since February 2019 (0-0 v Liverpool), ending a run of 30 consecutive games in which they had scored at least once.

While Nagelsmann accepted Villarreal were deserving winners, he still believes his side have what it takes to turn it around in the reverse fixture.

"We deserved to lose. We weren't good today. In the first half, we lacked power in defence and had too few chances," he told DAZN.

"The second half was a completely wild game. We gave up control because we were desperate to score.

"I think they could have scored a few more goals against us, but it was 1-0. We have not played a good game today in all aspects. 

"But it's only 1-0 and we have to show another side of us in the second leg; we know how to do it and I think we will."

Asked where it went wrong for his side tactically, Nagelsmann pointed to a lack of intensity down the flanks.

"It's a typical match against a Spanish team, who have good players and make few mistakes," he added. "They have quality with the ball. 

"On the wings we were not intense and we lacked penetration; we did not do the diagonals well either. Nothing worked for us and we had few chances. We deserved to lose."

Bayern have failed to progress from each of their last five ties in the Champions League knockout stages when they have lost the first leg, with four of those five eliminations coming against Spanish teams (Barcelona in 2014-15, Atletico Madrid in 2015-16 and Real Madrid in 2016-17 and 2017-18).

Thomas Muller, who failed to have a single shot in his 62 minutes on the pitch, knows Bayern have to improve dramatically if they are to end that run and book a spot in the last four.

"We failed to deliver the match we wanted," he said. "Offensively, we didn't have the energy; we didn't create many chances and we lacked the explosiveness. 

"We accept this 1-0. If it had gone wrong, the score could have been higher. 

"We have seen that Villarreal is not an opponent we can walk against, contrary to what some media said. We have to prepare for the second leg and take our revenge."

Alphonso Davies is poised for his first Bayern Munich appearance in almost four months after getting the all-clear from doctors monitoring his heart.

The attacking left-back has not featured for Bayern since December 17, after first testing positive for COVID-19 and then being sidelined when checks revealed a mild heart inflammation.

Davies, newly named as the CONCACAF men's player of the year, will be heading to the World Cup with Canada later this year after they qualified for the first time since the 1986 tournament.

On Wednesday, he should begin his comeback in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Spanish outfit Villarreal.

Bayern head coach Julian Nagelsmann confirmed that 21-year-old Davies had been given the green light to play by the medics dealing with his myocarditis.

"Phonzie will be in the squad, and the results of his medical mean that he has been cleared to start," Nagelsmann told a news conference.

"We will make a decision over the course of the day. In general, I am leaning towards having him in the starting XI."

News of Davies' condition emerged in mid-January, by which stage the youngster had started 22 of Bayern's 27 matches this season – only Manuel Neuer, Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski had started more regularly, which is a reflection of his importance to the team.

He had made 16 appearances in the Bundesliga and at the time he led the way in the division for dribbles attempted (97) and completed (61).

Nagelsmann said he had settled on seven or eight of the players who would start against Villarreal, with winger Serge Gnabry possibly set to get the nod ahead of Leroy Sane.

However, Sane has an outstanding record in the competition this season, which may influence Nagelsmann's choice. The former Manchester City man has been directly involved in 12 goals in eight games for Bayern in the Champions League this term (six goals, six assists).

Only Sane's team-mate Lewandowski (15) and Ajax's Sebastien Haller (13) have had more goal involvements in the current campaign.

"We'll rotate a bit, but not too much. We're used to this Saturday-Wednesday rhythm. We'll rotate a little more against Augsburg [in the Bundesliga on Saturday]," Nagelsmann said.

One player who will not be involved is Corentin Tolisso, who will be hoping he has not played his last game for Bayern after suffering a torn thigh muscle in the weekend Bundesliga win over Freiburg.

Tolisso is out of contract at the end of the season and Bayern reportedly decided earlier this season not to renew his deal.

"I actually thought that Coco had a stomach problem," Nagelsmann said. "I only found out after the game in Freiburg that he had a torn ligament. It's not an easy situation for him. He's in France now to get his mind off things a bit."

Nagelsmann believes Bayern have what it takes to get past Unai Emery's Villarreal, who stunned Juventus in the previous round.

Bayern are unbeaten in their last five games when playing away from home in the first leg of a Champions League knockout tie (W3 D2), although their last such defeat came in Spain in the 2015-16 semi-final against Atletico Madrid.

Emery will be taking charge of his 50th game in the Champions League (W21 D10 L18), and it will be his first quarter-final tie.

The Bayern coach said of Villarreal: "It's a very experienced team. They have a coach who is especially experienced internationally [in club games].

"They play different formations, you have to adapt to different situations. It's a team that opens up with risk. It's an experienced team of players, who have already experienced something and which has to be cracked first. However, I am confident that we will prevail."

Julian Nagelsmann launched a withering attack on Freiburg as Bayern Munich's substitution blunder risks costing them points.

A nine-point lead over Borussia Dortmund could be trimmed to six if Bayern's 4-1 win at Freiburg on Saturday is overturned.

That is a live possibility after Freiburg went to the German football association (DFB) with their concerns about the episode, late in the game, that saw Bayern have 12 players on the field for a matter of seconds.

Nagelsmann questioned how Freiburg could justify their complaint, given they were soundly beaten, and said the Champions League hopefuls would have to look at themselves if they get into Europe's top club competition thanks to being handed three points from such a game.

Bayern were 3-1 up when Nagelsmann removed Corentin Tolisso and Kingsley Coman and sent on Marcel Sabitzer and Niklas Sule.

However, Coman did not realise he was being replaced after his number was not raised, and he did not leave the pitch immediately, with referee Christian Dingert resuming the game before the error was noticed.

The DFB will consider the case, and its rules appear to indicate Freiburg may be awarded a 2-0 win.

"In the end I'm not surprised, to be honest," Nagelsmann said. "It is a procedure that lies with the DFB sports court. It has to make a judgement. In my opinion it can only go one way.

"From a personal point of view I don't understand it. Freiburg would not have scored two goals in those 18 seconds.

"I personally wouldn't have done it. I find that you are exploiting the mistakes of a third party to maybe score points yourself.

"I don't know if you can pat yourself on the back with the sponsors at the AGM in November if you play internationally because of the three points you won, which you actually didn't win in sporting terms.

"I wouldn't be so happy if that were the case. I would have clearly communicated to the club that we would not appeal. In the end everyone has to decide for themselves."

Nagelsmann was speaking in Bayern's pre-match news conference for their Champions League quarter-final first leg at Villarreal.

The topic of the Freiburg game is one that Nagelsmann would love to brush aside, given how unwelcome it is as a distraction when there is so much on the line.

Freiburg indicated they had reluctantly pursued an appeal, detailing an "intensive and extremely differentiated process of deliberation" before going ahead.

Bayern Munich could pay a high price for their substitution blunder at Freiburg after briefly playing with 12 men in Saturday's Bundesliga game.

The leaders were 3-1 ahead and on the way to a 4-1 away victory when head coach Julian Nagelsmann elected to make a late double change, removing Corentin Tolisso and Kingsley Coman and sending on Marcel Sabitzer and Niklas Sule.

However, Coman did not realise he was being replaced after his number was not raised, and he did not leave the field immediately, with referee Christian Dingert resuming the game before this was noticed.

The game continued for several seconds before being halted as all concerned attempted to make sense of the situation, and the incident may even see Bayern forfeit the win.

German football association (DFB) rules appear to suggest Freiburg could be declared 2-0 winners.

According to paragraph 17, article 4 of the rulebook: "If a player was not eligible to play or be fielded in a game, the team that culpably fielded this player lost the game 2-0 and the opponent won 2-0."

This rule is only to be deployed if the match is allowed to proceed by the referee, as it was on this occasion. A 12th player on the field would be considered ineligible to take part.

Nagelsmann said of the bizarre incident: "The wrong number was on the board, not Kingsley's 11. Mistakes happen. From the point of view of both teams, from the point of view of a fair sport, there was nothing that speaks against it being fair. You play a good game here and then everyone stands there and asks about the rules."

Freiburg coach Christian Streich, appearing alongside Nagelsmann at a post-match news conference, said rules should not be ignored.

Streich said: "I'm sure there won't be an objection, an appeal, from us, but there are rules to be followed.

"There is a rule and there's plenty of speculation, but we have a rulebook and that's what we have to abide by. Everything else, I'm not going to say anything about it, because there's nothing for me to say."

Referee Dingert, quoted by TZ, said: "It was a totally confused situation: It was a double change from Bayern Munich. An incorrect number was initially displayed, which is why the player Coman did not feel addressed with the number 11.

"That's why a 12th player was on the field for a short time, which shouldn't be. We noticed and then stopped the game.

"It's annoying for us because of course that scene is the focus now. We will note this in the game report. The game had 12 [Bayern] players for 15, 16 seconds. No goal happened. We will note that, everything else will be decided by the DFB."

Leon Goretzka, on his return from injury, scored Bayern's opening goal, with Serge Gnabry, Coman and Sabitzer also on target. Nils Petersen's reply was his 100th goal for Freiburg in all competitions.

Victory kept Bayern sitting pretty at the top of the Bundesliga, taking them nine points ahead of Borussia Dortmund who were not in action until later on Saturday against RB Leipzig.

Julian Nagelsmann said Bayern Munich "won't take any chances" with Robert Lewandowski's fitness when they face Freiburg on Saturday, with the striker nursing a rib injury.

The Bayern boss offered a promising update on Leon Goretzka's fitness, saying he would "love" to let the midfielder play, but could be left without Joshua Kimmich due to the imminent birth of his child.

Lewandowski netted a second-half penalty to set Poland on their way to World Cup qualification on Tuesday, opening the scoring in a 2-0 play-off win over Sweden.

The 33-year-old's last club outing saw him net twice against Union Berlin to reach 30 Bundesliga goals for a fifth time, a feat only previously achieved by the legendary Gerd Muller.

Ahead of the trip to fifth-placed Freiburg, Nagelsmann said that while Lewandowski is in the squad and in contention to feature, the club would act with caution after he picked up a rib injury. 

"We'll have to see how his rib reacts," Nagelsmann said.

"I assume he's in the squad and playing, but we won't take any chances."

If Lewandowski is deemed fit enough to feature, he could set an outright record for the most away goals scored in a single Bundesliga campaign. 

His current tally of 17 is a joint single-season record, shared with Jupp Heynckes (set in 1973-74 as a Borussia Monchengladbach player), and Timo Werner (2019-20 with RB Leipzig).

Meanwhile, Nagelsmann offered updates on the availability of two key midfielders, indicating that Goretzka is in line for his first appearance since December's 3-2 win over Borussia Dortmund.

He also revealed he has set a deadline for Kimmich to join up with the team as he awaits his child's birth.

"Goretzka reacted a bit on the hip, [but] otherwise he trained exceptionally well, and I would love to let him play," Nagelsmann added.

"I discussed with him [Kimmich] that if everything stays calm, he can travel later. We have set a deadline. The most important thing is that everyone stays fit. 

"We have a good squad and we have to control the players' workloads. At the same time, we need to keep our foot on the gas."

Bayern's tally of 81 goals from their 27 Bundesliga games is the best return at this stage of a season in the competition's history. Meanwhile, the perennial champions have scored in 74 consecutive Bundesliga matches, also a German top-flight record.

Julian Nagelsmann believes Bayern Munich's 4-0 victory over Union Berlin flattered the Bundesliga leaders, claiming his side deserved to win, but not by such a large margin.

After first-half goals from Kingsley Coman and Tanguy Nianzou put Bayern in a commanding position at the Allianz Arena, Robert Lewandowski scored either side of half-time to extend their lead at the summit to seven points.

Lewandowski has now hit 30 Bundesliga goals in five separate seasons, a record which can only be matched by the legendary Gerd Muller in the competition's history.

Meanwhile, Bayern have not failed to score in any of their last 74 Bundesliga matches, but Nagelsmann said his team's performance did not warrant such a handsome margin of victory.

"I'm satisfied with the result," Nagelsmann told reporters. "You have to take it the way it is. We allowed two big chances in the first half. Manuel [Neuer] held up great.

"That's what happens when you defend so high, [but] our defenders did great, Nianzou has scored a goal. 

"In the crucial moments we had the luck that we didn't have against [Bayer] Leverkusen and Hoffenheim.

"The fourth goal decided the game. The success was deserved, but not of that magnitude."

Union Berlin striker Taiwo Awoniyi caused problems for the hosts, while Neuer was forced into one fine save by defender Robin Knoche, but Bayern's attack racked up 16 attempts at goal and created 2.54 expected goals (xG) in a rampant display.

Neuer, meanwhile, set a new record for the most Bundesliga wins recorded by a single player, overtaking fellow Bayern goalkeeping great Oliver Kahn with his 311st victory in the competition. 

Neuer also required just 460 Bundesliga appearances to reach that tally, some way short of the 557 games needed by Kahn to set the previous record of 310.

"It's a fabulous record, even compared to the games played, that's extraordinary. But I think he's far from finished with this number. I hope so!"

Bayern Munich defender Niklas Sule is set for a spell on the sidelines after it was confirmed he had torn his hamstring in training on Wednesday.

The Germany centre-back, who has been a regular fixture for Julian Nagelsmann's side this term amid their latest Bundesliga title challenge, will be out for an unidentified period.

Reports in Germany suggest the 26-year-old, who has agreed to join Borussia Dortmund on a free transfer at the end of his contract, will miss around three to four weeks of action.

"Niklas Sule tore a muscle in his right rear thigh during training on Wednesday," read an official club statement.

"The 26-year-old FC Bayern centre-back is now facing a spell on the sidelines."

Sule joins Alphonso Davies on the injury list at Allianz Arena, though the latter returned to training earlier this week following his myocarditis diagnosis in January.

Bayern will play Union Berlin on Saturday in their final game before the March international break, while they will discover their Champions League quarter-final opponents on Friday.

 

Julian Nagelsmann lamented the lack of a "lucky punch" as Bayern Munich were held 1-1 by his former club Hoffenheim.

Bayern needed an equaliser from Robert Lewandowski in first-half stoppage time to come away with a point, after Christoph Baumgartner fired the hosts ahead.

Hoffenheim are in the mix for a place in next season's Champions League, sitting fifth for now, but Bayern's only objective is sealing another title.

It would be a 10th consecutive Bundesliga triumph, and their lead at the top over second-placed Borussia Dortmund reached 10 points after Saturday's result.

Dortmund have two games in hand, however, including a tussle with Arminia Bielefeld on Sunday, and cannot yet be counted out.

Bayern finished with an expected goals tally of 3.4 in Hoffenheim, according to Opta, which is a reflection of the quality of chances they had. That was double Hoffenheim's xG score, and underlined how Bayern had abundant opportunities to take maximum reward.

Head coach Nagelsmann said the lively game had been "fun", adding: "The lucky punch didn't happen and that's why it's 1-1 at the end.

"I think we were slightly closer to the three points than our opponents, but today it's not undeserved at the end. it was an interesting game and we have to live with that. Next week we'll try to be three times as good."

Bayern thrashed Salzburg 7-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday, when their finishing was almost faultless, but it will not be like that in every game.

Asked whether his team would give him grey hairs, Nagelsmann said: "I don't get grey hairs. They don't grow in me, they just drop out. I don't have too many of them."

Bayern led the shot count 18-9, but some wayward finishing and outstanding goalkeeping from Oliver Baumann, who made six saves, meant a second goal was beyond them.

"I think without criticising too much, the pitch was very, very dry," Nagelsmann said. "The ball bounced weirdly because the pitch was so dry.

"You have to hit the ball a bit lower than usual and that's why Oliver Baumann was able to hold onto the balls well, but contact on the pitch was a little bit rough.

"If any hairs fell out, I'll have a look tomorrow."

Julian Nagelsmann acknowledged the differing challenges between his current Bayern Munich role and former club Hoffenheim ahead of his return on Saturday.

Nagelsmann became the youngest Bundesliga head coach in history when he took charge of Hoffenheim in February 2016, before guiding them to their first-ever Champions League qualification the next season.

The 34-year-old managed 116 top-flight games at the Hoffenheim helm, more than any other coach in the club's history, before his departure to RB Leipzig in 2019.

He averaged 1.65 points per game in the league during his tenure - the best points average of any Hoffenheim boss in Bundesliga history - with his successor, and current head coach, Sebastian Hoeness ranking second (1.46).

Hoeness' side sit fourth in the league this term and are looking to equal a club record with a fifth straight top-flight victory, while they are also on the current longest winning run in the Bundesliga (four).

Hoffenheim have also collected three wins in their last five league home games against Bayern - in the first eight, they had remained winless (D3 L5) - but despite the challenge Nagelsmann is looking forward to his return.

"Of course, when you grow up in a club and take your first steps, you have formative moments there," he told reporters on Friday when asked about his memories of Hoffenheim. 

"As a Bayern coach, you're more a manager than a coach. Maybe that's not the case in Hoffenheim because you have to train the players a bit more there.

"You don't have a ready-made team there, you have to develop them. Of course, I miss [Hoffenheim director of football] Alexander Rosen too, we have a very good relationship.

"The Heidelberg area is the only region I can imagine living in long term - next to Munich.

"Hopefully the whistling [at the PreZero Arena] is over, that would certainly have been louder a few weeks after my departure. I'm looking forward to it, also because fans are here for the first time."

 

Nagelsmann, whose side sit nine points clear at the Bundesliga summit, also detailed his relationship with his successor Hoeness as he heaped praise on Hoffenheim's recent form.

"They have won their last four matches and are strong in a number of different rankings as well," he added. "They tried to play a lot of balls behind our backline earlier this season, so we will need to be prepared for that.

"[Hoeness] is doing very, very well. He's both a good coach and a good guy. We talk on the phone from time to time.

"He's one of those colleagues with whom you can exchange ideas and not shy away from exchanging ideas about content. I'm really happy for him about the current situation."

Manuel Neuer returned in midweek for the 7-1 crushing of Salzburg in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 clash, but Nagelsmann remains without the injured Corentin Tolisso, Leon Goretzka and Alphonso Davies for the next league fixture.

However, he will be able to call upon Jamal Musiala once more in the middle and the Bayern boss has been impressed with the youngster's development.

"He's developing very well and becoming more consistent and reliable," Nagelsmann said of Musiala. 

"We know that he's a very talented attacker. He's extremely important to us, and we are glad to have him here."

Julian Nagelsmann is aiming to have Manuel Neuer back in his Bayern Munich team for Tuesday's Champions League last-16 second leg against Salzburg.

Neuer has missed more than a month with a knee injury, last playing against RB Leipzig on February 5.

Since then, Bayern have kept only one clean sheet in five matches, conceding four at Bochum in the first match without their captain.

Stand-in Sven Ulreich has still been steady – saving only 61.1 per cent of shots on target faced but preventing 0.4 goals and not committing any errors leading to goals – yet Nagelsmann is keen to have Neuer available.

"If there is no reaction in his knee overnight, he will be able to play," Nagelsmann told a pre-match news conference.

"We are all very happy about that – even if Ulle [Ulreich] has done well."

If the identity of his goalkeeper is dependent on medical advice, Nagelsmann has trickier calls to make in attack, where Leroy Sane's past two appearances have come from the bench.

Sane has 13 goals and 12 assists in 34 games this season, although 12 of his goals have come in his 27 starts – and he has made every Champions League XI so far.

"He's a player I don't like to leave out because he has the quality that has already won us games," Nagelsmann said of Sane.

"I haven't decided yet what the first XI will look like. Of course, he is a candidate.

"I hope he's in the best shape if he plays from the start. He's an incredible player who can't really be defended when he plays to the limit. He has my confidence, even if he doesn't start."

Nagelsmann accepted Bayern can only have a "special season" if they continue their Champions League run beyond this tie, which is level at 1-1 ahead of the home leg.

And he will not allow his team to be complacent against Salzburg, who threatened an upset in Austria, where Kingsley Coman equalised in the 90th minute.

"Salzburg have been a good team for years – they have a very clear idea about how to win the ball," Nagelsmann added.

"It's never easy to defend that. It may not be the prettiest, but it is very dangerous.

"They have a lot of interesting individual players and have the quality to play football.

"They would also do well in the German Bundesliga because they have a lot of good players who are hungry and want to win something. They are a dangerous team who will demand everything from us."

Bayern Munich defender Niklas Sule insisted he will "give everything" to ensure Borussia Dortmund finish second in the Bundesliga this season, despite agreeing to join Marco Rose's side in 2022-23.

Sule has agreed to join Dortmund when his deal expires at the Allianz Arena in June, but Julian Nagelsmann has repeatedly assured that the centre-back remains committed to the cause.

That was evident when Sule opened the scoring against Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, although the reigning Bundesliga champions had to settle for a 1-1 draw after Thomas Muller's own-goal.

The 26-year-old was a standout performer against Gerardo Seoane's side, completing a game-high 99 successful passes, with no player attempting more in the opposition half (53).

While Bayern missed the chance to go 11 points clear at the Bundesliga summit, Sule expressed his commitment to Nagelsmann's side with his focus solely on domestic and Champions League success this term before joining Dortmund.

"I'm nothing but grateful. I'll give everything for this club until the last day, hopefully with two more titles," Sule told Sky Deutschland, as quoted by BILD.

"I believe in that. I'm grateful for the way people here are coping with my decision.

"I deliberately haven't spoken out yet. I'm still a Bayern player. There are still two big titles to play for and I will give everything to make sure Dortmund finish second this season."

The Bavarian giants sit nine points clear at the top, with second-placed Dortmund boasting a game in hand but they are not in action next until March 13.

But Nagelsmann was disappointed with his team's outing as he acknowledged Leverkusen squandered as many presentable opportunities as Bayern.

"The first half an hour was very good," he told reporters. "We had a lot of control and missed the second goal. We had chances. The goal we conceded was avoidable. The communication between Thomas [Muller] and Sven [Ulreich] was there, but I think it was too quiet.

"We were lucky not to concede a second. In the second half, Leverkusen defended deep. They had three good chances on the counter.

"The final touch was missing for us. I think in the end a point was fair for both teams, even though, of course, both wanted to win."

Bayern will look to make amends in the league when they visit Hoffenheim in a week's time, after Nagelsmann's men host Salzburg on Tuesday in the return leg of their Champions League last-16 clash, which is finely poised at 1-1.

Julian Nagelsmann confirmed that Manuel Neuer returned to full training on Friday, but a home clash with Bayer Leverkusen will come too soon for Bayern Munich's goalkeeper.

Neuer required knee surgery in February and has not featured since a 3-2 win over RB Leipzig, in which he matched Oliver Kahn's all-time record of 310 Bundesliga victories by a player. He achieved the first 77 triumphs with former club Schalke.

The Germany international – who holds the record for the most clean sheets in the Bundesliga (209), having surpassed Kahn (196) in 2021 – returned to light training late last month, but Nagelsmann confirmed the 35-year-old is now back into full team sessions.

While Neuer will be unavailable for the meeting with Leverkusen at Allianz Arena, the Bayern head coach suggested a return for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Salzburg on Tuesday could be a possibility.

"Manu did a little more today for the first time, also in team training," Nagelsmann told reporters at a pre-match news conference.

"Things are looking good. He still feels a little twinge when he has to stand up from a deep knee bend. He won't be an option for the squad tomorrow, that would be naive. 

"We'll have to see how sensible that is for Salzburg. We'll have to wait and see how he reacts. He hasn't lost any of his quality."

 

Bayern sit eight points clear at the summit of the German top flight ahead of their clash with third-placed Leverkusen, who are 14 adrift of the leaders.

Nagelsmann's team won the reverse fixture 5-1 and were 5-0 up after just 37 minutes – only in a 7-1 win at home against Hoffenheim in 2012 have they lead by five goals at an earlier point in a league match (after 35 minutes).

However, Leverkusen have taken 44 points from their 24 games in this campaign – the last time they had more at this stage was in 2012-13 (45) – and Nageslmann is expecting a stern challenge.

Indeed, both Bayern, who have managed 75 goals, a Bundesliga record for any team, and Leverkusen (63) have never before found the net as many times after 24 Bundesliga matches as they have done this season.

"A goal spectacle would be good for the spectators, but only to a limited extent for the coaches," Nagelsmann added. "Game control and the defence will be particularly important. 

"[Florian] Wirtz has the ability to move between the lines. [Jeremie] Frimpong initiates a lot, they have a very high pace and a lot of quality. We have to be prepared for that. 

"The first game [against Leverkusen] was very impressive, but we could have conceded a goal or two more.

"I don't expect them to be as offensive as they were in the first meeting and I expect them to keep pushing up but a little bit lower than they have been in recent years."

Niklas Sule, who has agreed to join Borussia Dortmund when his contract expires at the end of the season, also comes back into contention, and Nagelsmann believes the centre-back will continue giving his all for the club until he departs.

"I have a clear opinion," Nagelsmann said. "There is a certain contractual situation, the contract is limited and expires. 

"A player ideally extends, is sold or a contract expires. If the player continues who has the desire and does everything to be successful, I would always let the player play. 

"In many cases, things turn out well for the club. Sometimes things turn out differently, like with [David] Alaba [who joined Real Madrid at the end of his contract] or Sule. 

"That's part of it. You try to get the player on your side for a long time so that he gives everything for the club."

Julian Nagelsmann has been left shocked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with the Bayern Munich boss admitting he was fearful of the consequences.

Russia, to widespread condemnation, invaded neighbouring Ukraine on Thursday. That conflict escalated on Friday, with fighting having reached the capital of Kyiv, which is Munich's twin city.

Bayern confirmed that their Allianz Arena stadium would be lit up in the yellow and blue of the Ukrainian flag on Friday evening, to show solidarity with Ukraine.

Bayern played against Dynamo Kyiv in the group stages of this season's Champions League, and Nagelsmann expressed his shock at seeing a city where he and his team visited now being in the middle of a war zone.

"How difficult is it to think about everyday life? Obviously it's difficult, I'm shocked," he told a news conference.

"I'm also to a certain extent fearful that this is happening in a country where only recently we jogged across the pitch, looked at the beautiful city [Kyiv] and now you see these terrible pictures from Ukraine.

"It's not easy to talk about football. Of course you think about your concerns with continuing to do your job well but if you look at the news it makes you think a lot about what's going on and what the consequences will be.

"First of all for the people in Ukraine, it's dramatic, it's shocking. Yesterday I read a very good phrase that said 'there's no way to peace, peace is the way'. I think that should be the motto again as quickly as possible."

Russian politicians, certain high-profile individuals and companies have been hit by sanctions from many countries in response to the invasion.

In sport, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has urged federations planning to host events in Russia and Belarus, who have supported the invasion, to be relocated or cancelled.

Manchester United have ended their sponsorship deal with Russian airline Aeroflot, Formula One has removed the Russian Grand Prix from its calendar and UEFA has moved this season's Champions League final from St Petersburg to Paris.

Nagelsmann fully backed UEFA's decision.

"Firstly it's good that UEFA decided quickly and decided the right way," he said. "It's always good to have a quick decision and a good sign."

Bundesliga leaders Bayern face Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.

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