When Manuel Neuer is on the pitch, the FC Bayern goalkeeper is usually concerned with not allowing one-on-one situations. But if the world goalkeeper gets into the situation, he tries to play it off on his terms.
“When I’m at the opponent right after receiving the ball, he often didn’t see me coming and hardly time for a reaction. In this way, I often thwart 100% scoring chances well in advance, before dangerous situations can arise,” explains the 34 -Year-olds in 51, the record champion’s member magazine.
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“The most important thing as a goalkeeper is always your position in relation to the striker. Sequences of steps when running out, shortening angles, that’s what it’s all about – there are many possibilities for a goalkeeper to actively make scoring goals more difficult for the opponent.”
And it doesn’t matter to Neuer whether he’s facing a little well-known striker from the Bundesliga or Cristiano Ronaldo.
“The difference is that I now know Cristiano Ronaldo better than many others from our many duels. I’m not saying, oh, here comes Ronaldo, I’m scared,” said the goalkeeper.
Neuer is not afraid of CR7
“The one-on-one duel with no matter which striker is always a mind game, and I like this special challenge: That can be the decisive moment in a game and you have to prove yourself there. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not sharp in situations like this, I think first and foremost about the team. And we all prefer it when the ball circulates on the other side of the pitch. But if I can prove myself, I want to be there. That’s why I’m a competitive athlete. “
Neuer also proved himself in 2018 when he took on a challenge away from football by crossing the Alps. With two competitors, the keeper overcame around 600 kilometers and 10,000 meters in altitude in five days.
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“That was a pretty cool challenge, both athletically and for our group. We were all at a high fitness level, and then it was interesting to see how you reach your limits on a tour like this – in every area, physically and mentally It is an up and down, in the truest sense of the word, and also from a group dynamic point of view “, remembers the two-time Champions League winner.
But now there is another professional challenge waiting for the 2014 world champion. From February 9th, Neuer will play with FC Bayern in Qatar for the title at the Club World Cup.
