Manuel Peter Neuer (Gelsenkirchen, 1986) has reinvented the goalkeeper position. Not only with its stops. He has done it, above all, with his footwork. “I could play at least in the Third Division as a field player,” said former international Andreas Köpke. “I could play as a midfielder,” confirmed Joachim Löw.
He could play at least in the Third Division as a field player
Andreas Köpke
In Bayern’s victory over PSG (1-0) he kept a clean sheet for the seventh time! consecutive match [desde el 4-1 contra el Barcelona] to feed, even more so, his legend: he is the goalkeeper who has finished the most games (61) unbeaten in the history of the Champions League. “It doesn’t just depend on the defenders, but on the entire team. The attacking players are also delighted with winning 1-0 and keeping a clean sheet,” stressed the former Schalke player.
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Nobody gave more long passes than Neuer
However, if Neuer stood out again for something, it was for his great footwork. As a goalkeeper, he finished the match as the eighth player, from both Bayern and PSG, who completed the most passes: 43 out of 55. He made more deliveries, for example, than Goretzka (41), Joao Neves (39), Marquinhos (38) , Pacho (37), Sané (32), Musiala (30)…
There is one aspect, within the pass, in which he stood out more than anyone else: Neuer was the player who completed the most long passes (26 of 43). His spectacular change of play of more than 40 meters, like Kroos, going out to play the ball to midfield with total naturalness, as if he were just another field footballer, and with 1-0 in favor, is paradigmatic.
Neuer’s long pass towards Coman with 1-0 in the 69th minute.TOMA TV
There is another piece of information, perhaps more striking, but, at the same time, more anecdotal, which also highlights the skill and confidence that Neuer has with the ball. He completed more dribbles (1 of 1) than 13 of the players who started. See Dembélé, Barcola, Kane, Fabián Ruiz, Zaïre-Emery, Musiala, Laimer, Kimmich, Upamecano… Not only did he do more dribbles than Dembélé, but also, his dry dribble over the ex-Azulgrana soon went viral.
Neuer’s dry cut on Dembélé.TOMA TV
Bayern’s ‘Kaiser’
Neuer has always been used to taking certain risks: “You see more and more teams that want to play from behind and for that philosophy you need a goalkeeper who can start the game reasonably well. For me it is important. I can give him something to my team, besides saves. Just as the forward is said to be the first defender, the goalkeeper should be seen as the first attacker.
Just as it is said that the striker is the first defender, the goalkeeper should be seen as the first attacker
Manuel Neuer
With Kompany’s daring proposal, Bayern’s ‘number 1’ has been forced to resume his role as ‘libero’. “We have many 1 on 1 situations in defense. I try to evaluate situations and know when I should leave the goal to intervene. With the ball it is also different. Sometimes I am a little higher up the field than before.”
“With Kompany we press high. That’s why Neuer is usually 40 meters from the goal,” claims Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. His contract ends and, although there are rumors that he could end his career, it seems that, even at 38 years old, Neuer continues to live up to his surname: he is like ‘new’.
