In addition to a big Bundesliga win in their top-of-the-table showdown with Union Berlin, Bayern have received a massive boost by the comeback of their Senegalese forward Sadio Mane. The AFCON champion took the pitch in a competitive game for the first time since November.The nasty knee injury, surgery, rehabilitation, waiting and hoping – all those things became a part of the past when Mane came off the bench to replace Kingsley Coman on 65 minutes on Sunday. It was great to see the former Liverpool star taking the pitch amid a massive cheer from fans in the Allianz Arena stands.##NAJAVA_MECA_7056430##The 31-year-old was relieved after the final whistle. He can look ahead to getting to his best in time for the crucial battles in the UEFA Champions League and the Bundesliga.”I missed football. It was a long time.”Missing the World Cup in Qatar was an excruciating blow for the Atlas Lions captain and for the nation. Sadio could only watch, and so far in 2023, he couldn’t help his new club overcome a bumpy stretch of the campaign. But now he’s back. And with him, the Bavarians have another option in attack.On the pitch for the first time since November… Sadio Mané is back ❤️#UCL pic.twitter.com/sKTDNMsHi7— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 27, 2023 The match against Union Berlin was Mane’s first in 110 days. He missed Bayern’s 1-0 Champions League first-leg win at Paris Saint-Germain but is in line to figure in the return fixture in Munich on 8 March.Mane, who won the Champions League and Premier League with Liverpool before moving to Munich in the summer of 2022, has 11 goals and four assists in 23 games with Bayern.
