Bayern Munich and German national team goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is feeling good about the team after downing Scotland 5-1 last Friday.
Now, Neuer wants to focus on moving forward and playing against Hungary.
“After the win against Scotland, we slowed down a bit and had some time off. Individually, we were able to do some work in the gym. After a win, it’s nice to watch your opponents. Hungary played against Switzerland. You watch that and try to draw conclusions from it,” Neuer said (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “That’s a very good question (how far Germany can go). We’ve had good and bad games at the start (in previous tournaments). In 2014 we also started well against Portugal, and one of our opponents got a red card. But we weren’t as dominant as we were against Scotland. A game like that obviously helps at the start of the tournament. When we conceded the own goal, everyone on the pitch was annoyed. That’s a good sign. It’s not just scoring goals that’s important for us, but also defense.
“(Hungary is) a very uncomfortable team who try to be very aggressive in the duels. Especially for the second game, that means we must not underestimate them. We have to try to stay in our rhythm. Hungary also had a strong phase of pressure against Switzerland, which is a warning signal for us too. That’s why we will not underestimate them.”
Neuer also addressed some of the negative criticism that has been flowing his way. Some missteps during the friendlies ahead of the EURO 2024 tourney put the veteran in the crosshairs of some fans, with some even calling for Marc-André ter Stegen to start.
“I didn’t read anything. I’ve always done it that way: I go into the analysis with the people in charge here. We discuss everything and look at the pictures and evaluate everything based on the pictures. So I didn’t think much about the debate. What’s important is the relationship of trust between coaches, players and me. And there’s a lot of trust there,” said Neuer. “It’s important for the team to stick together, regardless of the position. We have a big and good squad with great players everywhere. Discussions won’t help us. We have to work together in the goalkeeper position as well.”
Finally, when asked if this was his last tournament with Germany, Neuer did not want to commit to anything.
“I can’t reveal that yet. I’ll think about it after the tournament,” said Neuer.