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Saddling Up One Last Time: Neuer Eyes Real Madrid in Potential Bayern Farewell

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Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer delivers MOTM display vs Real Madrid

Manuel Neuer, 40, rolls back the years with 9 saves vs Real Madrid. With his Bayern deal ending, the World Cup winner eyes a Champions League farewell.


“You shouldn't take it for granted, but for him it's an everyday occurrence.”


Bayern Munich legend Manuel Neuer is gearing up for Wednesday’s Champions League quarterfinal second leg at home against Real Madrid, a potential farewell showdown in what could be his final season.


He may no longer be the daring ‘sweeper-keeper’ of his peak years, but the two-time Champions League winner was excellent in Bayern’s 2-1 first-leg win in Madrid.


Named Man of the Match, Neuer made nine saves and largely kept Real’s threats Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior quiet.


Neuer, who turned 40 in March, has a Bayern contract that runs through the end of the season.


Bayern are reportedly willing to extend their longtime captain and keeper for another year, but Neuer has said repeatedly he’s still weighing his future.


The 2014 World Cup winner has been hampered by muscle injuries over the past two seasons.


Usually an automatic starter, he’s missed 11 games this campaign while dealing with recurring calf strains.


With Neuer already ruling himself out of World Cup contention this summer, capping the season with a third Champions League title and a record-equalling 13th Bundesliga crown would be a fitting farewell.


While Bayern have long dominated German football, Neuer’s arrival alongside modern greats like Thomas Muller, Philipp Lahm, and Bastian Schweinsteiger helped elevate the club to another level.




Before Neuer joined in 2011, Bayern had never won more than three straight Bundesliga titles. Since then, they’ve missed out just twice in 15 seasons.


Two of Bayern’s six Champions League titles came with Neuer in goal.


Even after 15 years, Bayern still marvel at Neuer’s brilliance. CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen said last week: “We had something Real didn’t - our world-class goalkeeper, our X-factor.”


Centre-back Jonathan Tah asked reporters, “Are you surprised?” and added: “He simply exudes something special, especially with the saves he keeps making.


“You shouldn't take it for granted, but for him it's an everyday occurrence.”


Neuer’s highlight-reel saves get the attention, but his leadership has been key to Bayern’s turnaround from a third-place Bundesliga finish in 2023/24 to again challenging for the Champions League.


Bayern coach Vincent Kompany, in only his second season managing a Champions League-level club, echoed that after the first leg.


“Manu only has to say one sentence, and he brings order to the team. That's why his role to me as a leader is just as important as what he does on the pitch,” Kompany said, adding Neuer “made things much easier for me at the beginning than I thought.”


‘Brutally difficult’ history

Heading into Wednesday’s second leg, Neuer is the only current Bayern player who’s beaten Real Madrid over two legs. After knocking out the Spaniards in the 2012 semifinals, Bayern failed to win any of their next eight meetings with Los Blancos - until last week.


The Gelsenkirchen native has extra motivation to finish the job against Real this time. Two years ago, with Bayern leading late in the semifinal second leg, Neuer spilled a Vinicius shot that Joselu tapped in to level the tie.


Minutes later, Joselu struck again and Bayern were eliminated, with Real going on to lift the trophy at Wembley.


Even with a first-leg lead, Bayern know their opponents well - no European fixture has been played more, with 29 meetings between the clubs - and they remain wary of the Champions League specialists.


Real took another LaLiga hit on Friday and now sit nine points behind Barcelona, but Joshua Kimmich knows the 15-time winners find another gear when the Champions League anthem plays.




“It doesn't matter at all what form Kylian Mbappe and his teammates are in. When it's the Champions League, they perform,” Kimmich said Saturday.


“We know exactly who we are playing against. It's a brutally difficult task,” Leon Goretzka said the same day. “We know how quickly they can create scoring opportunities. We know what to expect.”


Can the 2014 World Cup winner lead Bayern past UCL rivals before his contract expires?



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