Lisbon (AFP)
Two goals and devastating acceleration: Serge Gnabry sent Bayern Munich to the Champions League final on Sunday against PSG, with a new major performance against Lyon on Wednesday (3-0), in the wake of his extraordinary season in the queen competition.
The 25-year-old international supersonic winger now has nine goals in C1, one per game!
But it was above all his anthology quadruple in October in London against Tottenham in the group stage that made him burst screens around the world.
In February, this young man laid down and relaxed in life (he had his vegan period) then offered himself a double against Chelsea in the round of 16 first leg (3-0).
At Bayern, he is the spearhead of the generation of "25 and under", that of Kimmich, Süle, Goretzka, Coman or Tolisso. But he has already taken the place of legends Arjen Robben and Franck Ribéry in the hearts of Bavarian fans.
From the Dutchman, he inherited the sense of goal (12 this season in the Bundesliga). From the French the ability to tumble into small spaces to explode the defenses, by scoring himself or passing (11 assists in the league).
On the other hand, he is more versatile than his glorious elders and, if he feels better on the left, he is perfectly capable of playing on the right wing, as he did against Lyon.
- Fan of James Harden -
His first goal on Wednesday is a model of what he does best: a ball picked up on the wing, a transplant to the center at full speed to infiltrate in the middle of six helpless Lyonnais, and a cannonball in the top corner. from Anthony Lopes.
His second is opportunistic. After a scramble from Lewandowski almost on the goal line, he followed well and only had to push the ball deep to conclude.
He celebrated again by making the gesture of turning a teaspoon into a cup. After intriguing the Bundesliga with this ritual, he revealed his inspiration: "I am a big fan of the NBA, and especially of James Harden". The leader of the Houston Rockets celebrates his decisive baskets in the money time with this small gesture "stir the pot" which means: "What is in my cup is really very hot! Like me on the ground".
Hot, Gnabry has been from a young age: "When I was four years old I played football with everything I found in the apartment", this wisp said one day: "I forced my grandparents to play in football with me, nothing else interested me. My parents registered me at the local club TSV Weissach, telling me: + you have to drain your energy + (...) At 14-15 years old, j I started to think about becoming a professional when the first requests from big clubs arrived ".
- "The Arsenal adventure" -
After playing as a youth in Stuttgart, Gnabry left for Arsenal at 16. "I went to England because everyone was telling me not to go, that I wouldn't make it. I wanted this challenge. Arsenal were a great club, with coach Arsène Wenger giving youngsters a chance . They played football that I love, offensive, with a lot of possession.
However, it was to regain playing time that the striker returned to Germany, to Bremen in 2016. He then played for Hoffenheim, before making his debut for Bayern Munich in 2018.
In two seasons, he went from being a promising young prospect to that of an international star. And perhaps, Sunday, to that of winner of the Champions League.
© 2020 AFP