Currently, it seems most likely the story will finish on a happy note.

Tears ran down Sanches' face when he left the pitch on Wednesday evening. 60,000 fans cheered him on for his best game so far in a Bayern shirt, with Benfica supporters also welcoming their lost son with warm applause.

"I love it when a stadium does that. Massive respect for the Benfica fans," wrote defender Mats Hummels on Twitter from the locker room. German international Joshua Kimmich admitted to having never experienced anything like it before.

Sanches raised his hands to applaud the crowd in his former club's stadium. The Benfica arena was once his true home for over eight years, after he tried to escape the poverty and deprivation of a poor Lisbon suburb.

In the 54th minute, Sanches proved his unique qualities by sprinting two-thirds of the pitch before scoring. "He is in great shape, which is the source for a good performance. You see opponents being pushed away when he passes them. He has made significant steps mentally since I took over," Kovac said.

It might have been a lucky coincidence that Sanches was picked by Kovac for the first team, with several Bayern stars having been sidelined due to injury. "He had to face enormous pressure in that game, but he managed to get along and deal with it," said the coach.

A few weeks ago, it was Bayern president Uli Hoeness who decided that Sanches should be given a second chance, not wanting to admit that Bayern had made the wrong choice in buying a player thought of as one of the biggest talents in Europe. Kovac developed a strategy to uncover Sanches' skills through intensive training and constant communication.

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