Time comes for even the best of us. But for Bayern Munich’s legendary goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, that time is not yet.
The 38-year-old is still Bayern’s undisputed No. 1, with no clear successor in the wings: his deputy, Sven Ulreich, is 36, and the goalkeeper-long-in-waiting, 28-year-old Alexander Nübel, is perennially on loan with his future in Bavaria uncertain. But recent slip-ups by Bayern — notably a 4-1 Champions League debacle at FC Barcelona — have cast Neuer’s performance and his recent save percentages into the spotlight.
Neuer remains defiant — of time, as well as of his critics.
“I haven’t paid any attention to the criticism,” the keeper stated after Bayern’s 3-0 win over Union Berlin on Saturday (as captured by Sport1, via @iMiaSanMia). “It’s always about the quality of the chances when it comes to the goals we’ve conceded. That’s why the stats don’t matter for me at all, but rather each situation on its own. I think I’m in good form.”
It was another clean sheet for Neuer and Bayern — fourth in the last five games — and Neuer didn’t have particularly much to do in this one, with Union getting just one shot on target.
But he made the most of his opportunity to shine, as that shot was a good one. Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano’s headed defense of a Union cross snagged unluckily at the feet of teammate Raphaël Guerreiro, still in the box, and Union’s USMNT striker Jordan Pefok latched on to fire a ferocious at Neuer. The towering keeper showed that even at almost 39, he still has the reflexes and steel of his best days for Bayern and Germany.
Still, the stats do not paint Neuer in the best possible light:
Does the underlying shot quality vary that much over the years? Well, perhaps — the dip in 2018/19 coincided with Niko Kovač’s ill-fated Bayern reign and recovered the following year, shared by Kovač and Hansi Flick, in a season where at least in the Bundesliga Bayern conceded the same amount of goals. The shifts up and down in the years following could have as much to do with team performances and playing style changes — from Hansi Flick to Julian Nagelsmann to Thomas Tuchel — and Neuer’s low mark in 2024/25 is, of course, an incomplete number.
But Neuer’s heyday from 2012/13 through 2016/17 was also something to behold — save percentages staying consistent and north of 79.5% throughout — a run the likes of which we may scarce see again.
Looking for more thoughts and analysis on Bayern Munich’s dominant 3-0 victory over Union Berlin in the Bundesliga? Awesome, then check out our Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show to see who started, who scored, who subbed on, and where this all goes from here. You can get the show on Patreon, Spotify, or below:
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