Noussair Mazraoui is regarded as Julian Nagelsmann’s absolute dream player. The Moroccan was signed to make the right (defense) side significantly more offensive. However, the 24-year-old has a difficult start to the season and has to give way to Benjamin Pavard at right-back.
Two goals in the first two games, Benjamin Pavard has made a great start to the new season. The Frenchman not only shone offensively, but also presented himself very well defensively.
Contrary to what many assumed, Pavard started the season again on the right side of defense and not in the center of defence. While Pavard is the big winner of pre-season alongside Marcel Sabitzer, newcomer Noussair Mazraoui has had few opportunities to show himself.
Nagelsmann wants to carefully build up Mazraoui & Co
While Sadio Mané is set to start the season with Julian Nagelsmann, Mazraoui, Ryan Gravenberch and Matthijs de Ligt still have to be patient. In the Ligt it is the lack of fitness, in Gravenberch the strong competition in the midfield.
So far, Nagelsmann has not revealed why Mazraoui is currently on the outside. In the Supercup against Leipzig he was allowed 12 minutes, in the Bundesliga against Frankfurt it was just eight minutes.
It is curious: Mazraoui was one of the first to start the summer preparations at the beginning of July and yet he apparently still needs time to get used to the processes at the German record champions. Nagelsmann himself has recently emphasized that he does not want to burn the newcomers and that they are not thrown in at the deep end too early.
As of today, Mazraoui is Pavard’s challenger. As long as the Frenchman is playing well, as in the first two games of the season, the Bayern coach has no reason to change his first team.