As of 14th February, Bayern Munich sits comfortably atop the Bundesliga table, boasting an eight-point lead over second-placed Bayer Leverkusen. The German giants’ dominance is evident, with over 60 goals scored in the league so far.
Their attack has been as prolific as ever with Kane and Musiala firing on all cylinders.
However, a closer examination reveals a perplexing issue: the underwhelming performances of their key wingers—Leroy Sane, Kingsley Coman, and Serge Gnabry.
Recently, Twitter users @Fotbaler11 and @FCBLuigi highlighted this concern by comparing the trio’s statistics to other elite wingers across Europe.
The data indicates that Sané, Coman, and Gnabry have not been delivering the expected output in terms of goals and assists. Sane has 8 goals and 2 assists in 28 games, Coman with 5 goals and 3 assists in 28 games, and Serge Gnabry with 4 goals and assists in 25 games. (Stats via Fotmob)
While these numbers look alright on the surface for a winger, their struggle to qualify for the Round of 16 directly in new format of the Champions League can be attributed to the gap between quality of output.
When compared to one of the best attacking sides this season in Barcelona, the trio have 13 fewer combined goals and assists than Raphinha himself. To add to this misery, the Brazilian has also played 1100 minutes less.
It might be harsh to compare the trio to someone who is having a career year so far, but even when compared to Ousmane Dembele at PSG, their numbers fall short. The French winger at PSG has been inconsistent and has struggled with injuries, only recently coming into form.
But this doesn’t stop him from having only 1 lesser G+A than the trio of Sane, Coman, and Gnabry. This feat becomes more impressive when you take into consideration that Dembele has played 2000 fewer minutes.
Their own teammates in Musiala and Olise have racked up 40 goal contributions in 3600 minutes.
This inconsistency has led Twitter to create a funny graphic that dubs them as the “Bermuda Triangle.” The joke is that whenever the ball reaches one of them, it vanishes, along with Bayern’s attacking momentum. Instead of converting chances, they either delay decisions, or fail to produce a decisive end product.
In other words, when the ball goes to Sané, Coman, or Gnabry, Bayern’s scoring opportunities enter a black hole, similar to what the Bermuda triangle does.
Several factors might explain why they struggle to convert chances. Coman, for example, has faced multiple setbacks, limiting his time on the pitch. Sané has shown flashes of brilliance but often fades in crucial moments. Gnabry’s form has been inconsistent, leading to questions about his current role in the squad.
While some fans agree with this viewpoint, others believe that this trio isn’t even their starting frontline anymore. “Tbf our main 3 are Olise, Jamal & Kane,” said one fan.
“agree 100%, sell all” said one fan one other Bayern faithful added, “super agree. Wingers in FC Bayern are weak. Gnabry, Sane and Coman. They already past their prime.”
One fan backed up his claim with stats, “Can’t agree more. The team has one of the worst goal to xg ratio in the Champions League this season out of all team. It’s insane.”
Although a section of fans were far from pleased with the Bermuda Triangle viewpoint.
“Decline from Europe’s elite? Most goals in Europes top 5 leagues top 5 defence in europes top 5 leagues…. You’re spewing nonsense,” said one fan while another user kept it short and simple, “You’re absolute clueless mate.”
