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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Daniel Murphy

Liverpool FC star Virgil van Dijk stat debunked as Man City's Leroy Sane DID dribble past him

The sensational stat suggesting that Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk hadn't been dribbled past once in the past season is wrong - as Man City's Leroy Sane did just that.

Van Dijk has had a tremendous  season for Liverpool and is one of the main reasons why the Reds drove City so close in the Premier League title race - which they lost by a single point after losing just one game - and winning the Champions League.

However, his incredible antics are being exaggerated just a touch by a stat that is circling which claims no player managed to dribble past the Dutchman throughout the 2018/19 season for club or country.

Yet that isn't true, as City's Sane did manage to use his silky skill to surpass Van Dijk while on international duty and he's the only player to do so, according to Opta.

The moment came when Germany were two goals to the good against the Netherlands in November.

In the 42nd minute Sane received the ball on the edge of the box, drove towards the byline. He showed the ball to Daley Blind and Ryan Babel before ghosting past both while somehow keeping the ball in play.

Van Dijk then closed him down and as he tried to make a tackle Sane flicked the ball past the centre-back who was taken out of play.

Nothing came of the move, however, as Sane laid the ball off and the receiver immediately lost it.

Germany would also go on to surrender their 2-0 lead in the Nations League group game, with Van Dijk himself scoring a fine volley to equalise in the final minute.

Regardless, Sane still managed to achieve something that no other player managed to do in 58 games in the past season.

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