Khedira reaping benefits of positional tweak at Juve

Sami Khedira credits a positional shift for his improved goal return since moving to Juventus.

The midfielder was employed in a more defensive role at former club Real Madrid and he scored just six goals in LaLiga over five seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, during his maiden campaign at Juve last term he netted five times in 20 Serie A appearances and has been on target twice in the league for the Bianconeri this campaign.

Khedira also scored in Germany’s 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Northern Ireland on Tuesday and he believes he is benefitting from a more advanced role in Italy.

“It’s [scoring more goals] because of my position on the pitch,” Khedira told reporters after Germany’s win.

“You recover the feeling for the space. You can see that I play more offensive in Italy.

“In Madrid, I played a little bit more defensive. If you are in the scoring areas in the games every three, four days, you get the feeling.

“It’s just a matter of practice. Maybe that is the conclusion.”