Manuel Neuer leaps, almost horizontal in mid-air and clutches the ball that Toni Tapalovic had just fired in his direction safely with two hands. That was how the FC Bayern captain prepared himself for Wednesday evening’s Champions League match against Olympiacos. As ever full of concentration with his aim of keeping a clean sheet.
There was therefore no rest for Neuer during the warm-up. The grass flying off his boots, even the rain doesn’t concern him. It was definitely worth it in the end as Bayern won 2-0. “It was important for our confidence in defence to keep a clean sheet,” the goalkeeper enthused afterwards while stressing the good teamwork. The men in front of him let almost nothing through, meaning Neuer himself was rarely forced into action. The Greek side mustered up just three shots over the course of the 90 minutes, but none of them were on target. “It was just important for us to defend well. We defended well from the front and immediately put the opposition under pressure,” Neuer said in praise of the entire team.
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