Bayern Munich’s seasoned goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is gearing up for Wednesday’s quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid at home, in what might be his swan song season.
While he may not embody the daring ‘sweeper keeper’ style of his earlier years, the two-time Champions League champion delivered a stellar performance in Bayern’s 2-1 first-leg win in Madrid.
Named man of the match, Neuer recorded nine saves, successfully fending off the threats posed by Real’s star attackers, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, for the most part.
Having celebrated his 40th birthday in March, Neuer’s contract with Bayern runs through the current season.
Bayern appear open to extending a further year to their long-standing keeper and captain, but Neuer has consistently indicated that he is still assessing his future options.
The 2014 World Cup champion has endured muscle injuries over the past two seasons.
Typically a guaranteed starter, he has missed 11 games this season due to ongoing calf muscle issues.
After already declaring himself out of contention for the World Cup this summer, securing a third Champions League title alongside a record-equaling 13th Bundesliga championship would be an ideal farewell.
While Bayern has long dominated German football, Neuer’s arrival in 2011, alongside other modern icons like Thomas Muller, Philipp Lahm, and Bastian Schweinsteiger, propelled the club to new heights.
Before Neuer joined, Bayern had never achieved more than three consecutive Bundesliga titles, but since his signing, they have missed out on the crown only twice in the last 15 seasons.
Two of Bayern’s six Champions League titles were secured with Neuer guarding the goal.
Even after 15 years, Bayern continues to benefit from Neuer’s exceptional talents. CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen remarked last week: “We had what Real did not – our world-class goalkeeper, our X-factor.”
Centre-back Jonathan Tah posed a rhetorical question to the media: “Are you surprised?” and added: “He simply brings something extraordinary, especially with the saves he continues to produce.
“It’s something you shouldn’t take for granted, but for him, it’s just another day at the office.”
Neuer’s breathtaking saves often feature in highlight reels, but his leadership has been vital as Bayern seeks to rebuild after finishing third in the Bundesliga last season, aiming once more for Champions League glory.
Bayern’s coach Vincent Kompany, in only his second season managing a team with aspirations for the Champions League, acknowledged this after the first leg.
“Manu only needs to say one sentence to instil order in the team. That’s why his leadership role is as significant to me as his contributions on the pitch,” Kompany stated, also noting that Neuer ”made things much easier for me at the outset than I anticipated.”
‘Exceedingly challenging’
As they approach Wednesday’s return leg, Neuer is the sole current Bayern player to have experienced triumph over two legs against Madrid. Since overcoming the Spaniards in the 2012 semi-finals, Bayern had failed to win against Los Blancos in their eight encounters – until last week.
Furthermore, the Gelsenkirchen native will have added impetus to advance against Real this time around. Two years prior, while Bayern held the lead in the final moments of their semi-final second leg, Neuer fumbled a shot from Vinicius, allowing Joselu to equalise.
Shortly thereafter, Joselu netted again, leading to Bayern’s elimination, with Real progressing to claim the title at Wembley.
Despite their first-leg advantage, Bayern remains fully aware of their adversaries, having faced off in 29 matches—the most played in European competition—and they remain cautious of the Champions League experts.
Real Madrid faced another setback in La Liga on Friday, falling nine points behind leaders Barcelona, but Joshua Kimmich acknowledged that the 15-time champions often elevate their game when the Champions League anthem plays.
“It doesn’t matter what form Kylian Mbappe and his teammates are in. When it comes to the Champions League, they deliver,” Kimmich said on Saturday.
“We know exactly who we are up against. It’s an exceedingly challenging task,” Leon Goretzka remarked the same day. “We understand how quickly they can create scoring chances. We know what to expect.”
Compiled by SportArena.au
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