Cancelo at Bayern only on the bench, frustration in training. Nagelsmann tames emotions, but probably won’t play against PSG again

João Cancelo is experiencing the same situation at Bayern Munich as he did at the end at Manchester City, the reason he left. He’s played just 13 minutes in the last two games, and didn’t even go on the pitch for a second against Stuttgart.

Yet he came to Germany as a star signing in the winter. And he made a great start, assisting immediately in the cup against Mainz, and then assisting a goal against Wolfsburg.

He was also in the starting line-up subsequently with Bochum, in the Champions League, but there he was substituted at half-time and that cost him a place in the line-up. Cancelo actually came in as a right or left back, and played the first two games on the right edge of defence, in which he assisted.

But Nagelsmann then switched to a 3-4-2-1 system, where it is harder to find a place for Cancelo. Against PSG, for example, he came on at left halfback, where he took the place of Alphonso Davies, but he replaced him at halftime and in the following games.

Against Union Berlin, Davies and Coman were given priority at halfback, while the right-back position in the last two games was occupied by Josip Stanisic, originally a right-back. Against Union Stanisic was at least replaced by Cancelo for 13 minutes, but last time against Stuttgart he was only on the bench.

German daily BILD reported that there is a lot of frustration on Cancelo’s face. At Monday’s training session he was reportedly very separated from his teammates, didn’t talk to anyone, walked around the training center alone and even angrily kicked the ball far from the field where players who didn’t start against Stuttgart were training.

He never played stopper

Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann, however, has tamed the situation. “He’s handling the situation well, ” the Bayern coach said after the Stuttgart game. “I don’t feel he is separating himself from the rest of the team. Stanisic is more defensive and João has never played stopper in a three-man defence,” Nagelsmann explained why the 22-year-old is currently preferred to the star Portuguese.

The waters need to calm down in Munich as Bayern have a crucial Champions League semi-final match against PSG on Wednesday. Müller and co. brought home a narrow 1-0 win from Paris, but they will have their work cut out for them in the rematch.

And unfortunately for Cancelo, reports from Germany are that Bayern are expected to field a three-man formation again, which means with Cancelo on the bench. Davies and Coman will again start at halfback.

Source: BILD