Leon Goretzka is going through a season with many ups and downs. The 29-year-old has often been criticised by fans, media and experts in recent months. Goretzka is currently flourishing in his new role at FC Bayern.
In last week’s 3-0 win against Lazio Roma, Leon Goretzka acted as FC Bayern’s „secret playmaker“. The German international also shone as the anchor man in Munich’s 8-1 win over Mainz. The numbers are certainly impressive: With two goals and two assists, Goretzka was instrumental in the German record champions‘ gala performance.
Even though Goretzka continues to formally form a double-six with Aleksandr Pavlovic, the latter has been interpreting his role a little differently of late. The 29-year-old repeatedly drops deep to organise Bayern’s play. He acts as a kind of quarterback.
„He dares to play through the gaps“
Not only FCB fans are positively surprised by the recent explosion in performance, Thomas Tuchel was also impressed: „He’s doing very well. I think he plays very clearly. He has a very good, hard passing game. He dares to play through the gaps,“ he emphasised before the Mainz game.
Goretzka himself was reserved after the strong performance: „Of course, you always try to find your spaces – that’s also what the coach expects from us. We should find our own solutions within our structure. And that’s what I tried to do.“
He himself does not want to take part in the discussions about his (new) role at all: „I always see it as my duty to help the team – no matter where I’m placed. This discussion about who takes on which role is honestly out of my ears,“ he emphasised to SPORT1.
Uncertain future with FC Bayern and DFB team
The DFB international has been linked with a move away from FC Bayern since the summer of 2023. Most recently, reports made the rounds that Juventus Turin were very interested.
It remains to be seen what will happen to Goretzka at the Isar at the end of the season. The decisive factor will be how the new coach plans to deal with the former Schalke player.
What is clear, however, is that if Goretzka continues to perform as strongly as he did against Rome and Mainz, he will have a strong case for remaining at FCB. The latest performances are also important with regard to the national team and the upcoming European Championships. According to rumours, the Bayern star is a shaky candidate for national team coach Julian Nagelsmann.
