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Top five Under-23 players at the 2018 World Cup

By Benjamin Barkworth

PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 23: Duvan Zapata of Colombia and Kylian Mbappe of France fight for the ball during the international friendly match between France and Colombia at Stade de France on March 23, 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 23: Duvan Zapata of Colombia and Kylian Mbappe of France fight for the ball during the international friendly match between France and Colombia at Stade de France on March 23, 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images.
Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images. /

Leroy Sane

The silky winger had an excellent season with the Citizens as he played a key role in their title-winning campaign. Him and Raheem Sterling were often providing attacking width for the team in the build-up stages before being part of a fluid shape in the final third.

Sane was the natural winger in the team because he was often tasked with beating players in 1v1s. Although he was just as comfortable associating with the other attackers through interplay and sharp movement off the ball. His development under Guardiola has been clear to see because he is now a dynamic threat capable of changing games.

The only issue from this season was his inability to match his direct contributions from the Premier League in the Champions League. He scored 10 goals and assisted 15 in 2423 league minutes. In contrast, he only managed two assists in 653 Champions League minutes.

This is a major tournament for him because he needs to start reproducing his domestic form for his country. He currently has a sole assist to his name in 525 minutes. Him and Marco Reus will be the main wide threats in the team. They are a key part of Joachim Low’s system because he usually plays Thomas Muller on the right who drifts to find space. Therefore, they help limit the compactness of the opposition by offering a wide outlet.

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