When Aston Villa attacker Jhon Durán freed himself from the defensive radius of Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano, the Colombian saw just enough daylight to unload his shot attempt over a prone — and out of position — Manuel Neuer, who had played ultra-aggressive all game with his positioning.
Neuer’s “live by the sword, die by the sword” style has served him well over the years, just not during Bayern Munich’s 1-0 loss to Aston Villa in the Champions League.
“Everyone knows that I do that [come off his line] every game. The striker did well. I could’ve been two meters behind, but that’s our game. I don’t know if the coach will ask for something different after this goal. Calculated risk? That’s our game,” said Neuer (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
Ah, but it does take two to tango and Durán would not have gotten free if not for some poor positioning from Upamecano, who was playing while on a yellow card.
Either way, Kompany will likely have to give Neuer the “yay or nay” on whether or not he wants the goalkeeper to proceed with his risky style. After a career of living on the edge, it seems like it might be difficult to change now for the veteran goalkeeper.
Looking for a recap of the Champions League match between Bayern Munich and Aston Villa, along with some additional thoughts and analysis? Awesome, then we have you covered with our Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show, which is available on Patreon, Spotify, or below:
