When Manuel Neuer set foot on the pitch at the Allianz Arena on Friday evening, a little smile appeared on the goalkeeper's face. Neuer probably realised he wasn't just going out to warm-up for any old game of football. In the clash with Hoffenheim, the 37-year-old made his 500th competitive appearance for Bayern Munich - what an achievement!
Neuer: Happy to be a member of the elite
“Of course, it's really special,” said Neuer following his milestone match, with which he equalled Bastian Schweinsteiger's record in the FC Bayern rankings. Apart from these two players, only Thomas Müller (685) and Philipp Lahm (517) featured in more than 500 competitive games for Bayern in this millennium. It's a select group Neuer is obviously very comfortable with. “I never thought I would play 500 games for Bayern Munich, but I'm obviously really happy to be a member of the elite.“
During the commanding 3-0 win against TSG Hoffenheim, the goalkeeper remained a spectator for a long time. However, when he was needed, he was as always there. In the first half, Hoffenheim's only shot on goal by Andrej Kramarić after 39 minutes safely landed in Neuer's arms. After the break, however, the five-time world goalkeeper of the year had to show all his class twice in quick succession. First, he blocked a close-range header by Maximilian Beier (62.) with a world-class reflex before he maintained the upper hand in a one-on-one against Kramarić storming towards his goal. “In the middle of the game we needed Manuel Neuer. He was there for us and held on to the lead,” Thomas Müller commented after the final whistle.
Most clean sheets, most wins, best record
And so, Neuer kept yet another clean sheet in his 486th Bundesliga game. Overall, it was his 223rd game without a goal conceded, a new record in this competition. Additionally, Neuer remains the only goalkeeper in Bundesliga history with more than 100 appearances to concede fewer goals than matches played (402, 0.83 per game). And since Neuer held on to the 3-0 win against Hoffenheim on Friday evening, his historic battle with his team mate and fellow World Cup winner Thomas Müller continues. Both players celebrated their 329th Bundesliga win, more than any other player in league history.
Neuer shone at the back - a trio sparkled up front:
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