'Mane making bigger Bayern Munich impact than Senegal star is credited for' - Matthaus
- Matthaus backs Mane to be Bayern star
- Forward produces some good displays already
- Backed to become big favourite among Bayern fans
WHAT HAPPENED? The 29-year-old Lion of Teranga signed for the Bavarians from Liverpool at the start of the season and has been one of the key players for the side.
Ahead of Sunday's Klassiker showdown with rivals Borussia Dortmund, the 61-year-old Matthaus, who captained West Germany to victory in the 1990 Fifa World Cup where he lifted the trophy, believes Mane has put in some good displays despite coming into a new league.
WHAT DID MATTHAUS SAY? "I think Mane’s made a bigger impact than people give him credit for," Matthaus, who captained Bayern, managed 189 caps and scored 28 goals, said as quoted by FourFourTwo.
"He’s come into a new league and has put in some good performances already. He’s scored goals and he’ll get plenty more before this season’s up. Perhaps he’s lacking a little consistency but that will come with time.
"The fans are right behind him and I expect him to become a big fan favourite among Bayern supporters. He’s a player that is fun to watch and the Bayern fans warm to that kind of player.
"With Mane's speed, strength and quality, I have no doubt that he’ll become an important player for Bayern. "He knows where the goal is and he knows how to score."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Mane has so far netted four goals in the Bundesliga this season, which ranks him joint fourth overall in this category, while making him the second-top league scorer for his side.
He opened his goal account in the 6-1 thrashing of Eintracht Frankfurt on August 5 while his last goal came in the 4-1 victory against Bayer Leverkusen on September 30.
He opened his Champions League account as Bayern defeated Viktoria Plzen 5-0 on Tuesday.
WHAT NEXT FOR MANE? The Lion of Teranga will likely feature for the Bavarians when they take on rivals Dortmund in a top-flight fixture at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday.
Bayern are currently third on the standings with 15 points from eight matches, while Dortmund are fifth with same number of points.