Twice Schalke were through on goal on Tuesday evening, and twice they were denied by the legs of Sven Ulreich. And a few seconds after saving Guido Burgstaller’s shot in the 66th minute, he was at full stretch to tip Burgstaller’s header from an offside position over the bar. Bayern once again counted on Sven Ulreich on Tuesday evening, and the 29 year-old provided solid backing to a strong team performance as the Reds won 3-0 in Gelsenkirchen.
“Whenever Sven was asked questions, he responded well. We have a lot of trust in him,” praised Carlo Ancelotti. Bayern’s number two suddenly finds himself in the spotlight after Manuel Neuer was ruled out for the rest of the year. “You feel for Manuel. The squad is obviously sad,” commented Ulreich after the final whistle at the Veltins Arena. “I wish him all the best and hope it all goes well and that he returns quickly.” In the meantime, he’s number one.
“100% on the ball”
“Of course I’m pleased about getting games. I’d be lying if I said I like sitting on the bench,” said the 6 ft 3in keeper. “I’ll do my best to cover for Manu as well as possible.” Ulreich made 10 appearances in his first two seasons for Bayern, a figure he could treble in the coming months.
His goalkeeping colleague Tom Starke described Ulreich’s performance as “100% on the ball.” The 36 year-old was the back-up to Neuer for many years and knows the particular changes this position brings. “It’s important you’re always prepared for action. You have to get to know the team and certain processes beforehand,” Starke told FC Bayern TV LIVE. “Then when your opportunity comes, you’re already well prepared and you just have to enjoy it.”
Looking forward to Paris
Ulreich was able to enjoy the match in Gelsenkirchen to the full. The win to nil was exactly what he wanted, partly because he got to demonstrate his quality with a few good saves. “As a goalkeeper you’re happy when you face one or two situations and you keep them out. It’s always nice,” he said. Ulreich had already successfully deputised for Neuer this season in the Supercup – with two saves in the penalty shootout – as well as the DFB Cup tie against Chemnitz and the Bundesliga opener against Leverkusen.
"Sven did fantastically,“ praised Sebastian Rudy on behalf of the whole team. Thanks to Ulreich, Bayern don’t have to worry about the goalkeeper position ahead of next week’s Champions League game in Paris. The 29 year-old is already full of excitement for the match at the Parc des Princes while allowing the required level of calmness: “I’m looking forward to testing myself against such world-class players. But we’re also a world-class side, I know that from training.”
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