Positional play is one of the basics for defenders: keeping an eye on the ball and the opponents, anticipating their moves and passes. In this respect, it was not by chance that Niklas Süle stood where he stood on Saturday afternoon, even if it was in Augsburg's box. Following a set-piece and a mix-up in the box the ball bounced off Süle's knee to Arturo Vidal's feet, the Chilean scoring the opener. It was Süle's first assist wearing Bayern colours.
But Süle did not only shine when he set up the goal against Augsburg. The 22-year-old, who joined Bayern from Hoffenheim this summer, has slotted seamlessly into the rearguard. All of his 66 passes found a team-mate on Saturday: 100 percent accuracy! "I feel the coach puts a lot of trust in me, I make lots of appearances. I try to vindicate it," said Süle.
Learning from Hummels and Boateng
Süle made his 14th competitive appearance this season on Saturday, playing 90 minutes for the tenth time. "Many people hadn't thought I'd make so many appearances. I had trust in myself." He also thanked his team-mates, especially fellow defenders Mats Hummels and Jérôme Boateng: "I train with the two on a daily basis, you watch every move as a young player. Their body language is very professional, during training too. Also the way they approach training: diet and other things. I can learn a lot."
Süle has turned in convincing displays in the Champions League too. He played 90 minutes in three of the first four matches, making his first appearances in Europe's elite club competition. The youngster hopes he will play against Anderlecht on Wednesday. He is looking forward to the trip to Brussels: "It's the Champions League, the anthem will ring out. Everyone's looking forward to it."
Fingers crossed for Celtic
Süle aims to seal the next win over RSC Anderlecht, who have failed to take points or score goals so far: "It's nice we're in the next round, but we want to win the match," the defender stressed. He hopes table-toppers Paris Saint-Germain will be held by Celtic: "Every Champions League side has quality and is able to annoy others. We hope it'll happen when Celtic take on Paris."
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