Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany has applauded the heroics of veteran goalkeeper Manyel Neuer in their 2-1 win at Real Madrid on Tuesday night.
The German champions took a first leg advantage in their UEFA Champions League last eight clash at the Santiago Bernabeu and despite a dominant performance, they had their legendary goalkeeper to thank for keeping them ahead in the tie.
Neuer made three saves each against Real Madrid’s front two – Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe and made a total of nine saves in the encounter.
“He makes it look so easy, that’s what you get with great goalkeepers”, Kompany said.
“They make some incredible saves at really difficult angles look really easy, but there’s also a level of technique to pat the ball away from the dangerous area.”
Neuer was also close to stopping Mbappe’s goal, although the ball crept over the line to give the hosts hope heading into the second leg.
The nine saves marked his highest number in a single game in the last five years in the Champions League and the most since 2017, when he made 10 saves against the same opponents.
Luis Diaz and Harry Kane had earlier put Bayern 2-0 ahead in a very dominant performance where they could have scored more goals.
“I see him every day in training, and still now I’m impressed every day. That shows how much he’s still able to be one of the top goalkeepers”, Kompany added.
“If he was the best player I’m happy with that, it’s not a problem. You need special performances always, at this level in these kinds of games.
Today we had chances to score more goals, so let’s hope we continue this form, and hope our strikers are the best players next week, that would also be OK for me”, Kompany concluded.
Bayern will host the second leg encounter at the Allianz Arena next week, hoping to build on their one-goal advantage.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
