Manuel Neuer will be back in goal for FC Bayern Munich in the Champions League game against RB Salzburg. “Yes, Manu will be able to play,” said coach Julian Nagelsmann on Monday in the press conference for the round of 16 second leg, with the small caveat that there was “no reaction” overnight in the national goalkeeper’s right knee, which was operated on four weeks ago.
During the final training session on the club premises of the German record champions, Neuer dived with full commitment after the balls shot by goalkeeping coach Toni Tapalovic. “I’m very happy that he can play again,” said Nagelsmann, looking ahead to Tuesday (9 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Champions League and on Amazon Prime Video).
In the 1-1 draw in the round of 16 first leg in Salzburg, Sven Ulreich was still in the Bayern goal. Neuer last played on February 5 in a 3-2 draw against RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga. After the intervention on the meniscus, it was initially assumed that there would be a break of more than a month. Neuer’s rehab and the rehabilitation training went well.
Nagelsmann can again use world champion Lucas Hernández in defense against Salzburg. The Frenchman had to sit out the 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen at the weekend due to a yellow card suspension. The top performers Leon Goretzka and Alphonso Davies as well as Corentin Tolisso will also be missing.
“It happens to the best too”
Meanwhile, Nagelsmann is not worried about the mental state of leader Thomas Müller ahead of FC Bayern’s dangerous game of nerves against Salzburg. But the first own goal in Müller’s long career as a professional soccer player in the 1-1 draw in the top Bundesliga game against Bayer Leverkusen last Saturday irritatingly pulled the plug on the Munich star ensemble, which had been totally dominant up to that point.
The ensuing slump in performance raised doubts about the mental robustness of some players, such as Dayot Upamecano, who too often stands out as a security risk. “Obviously that happens to the best too,” Nagelsmann said calmly about Müller’s failed rescue attempt in the 36th minute, when the ball landed in his own goal after a rather harmless free kick from Leverkusen’s Kerem Demirbay due to a voting problem. “I shouted that I had him,” goalkeeper Ulreich described the key scene. But Müller was already in the jump. In the 407th Bundesliga game, he tipped the ball into the wrong goal for the first time.
“The communication was apparently a tad too quiet. Thomas has to go there. He’s not happy, but it won’t knock him out for a long time,” said Nagelsmann. The lost points in everyday league life are bearable for the leaders. A draw in the Champions League duel with Salzburg, on the other hand, would not be enough after the 1-1 draw in the round of 16 first leg. Austria’s top club around the penalty shooter Karim Adeyemi got in the mood for the big task in Munich with an easy 4-0 win over SCR Altach. “It counts on Tuesday. It’s a very important game, we have to win it,” warned national defender Niklas Süle urgently.
Nagelsmann can currently rely one hundred percent on the 26-year-old. Since the announcement of his free transfer to league rivals Borussia Dortmund, Süle has suddenly embodied the stable defense chief that the Munich bosses did not see in him during the failed contract negotiations. Süle already stood out at 1-0 in Frankfurt. He scored his first goal of the season against Leverkusen. “For me personally, it was nice to score. I would have hoped that the goal would be enough for three points,” Süle commented on his powerful volley.
But the defensive giant was amazed at how much “the unfortunate equalizer” shook his team. “We played one of the best first 30 minutes of the season. After the 1-1 draw, we were unsure and collapsed a bit. That must not happen to us,” said Süle. Above all, fellow defender Upamecano became a source of danger again. A blackout back pass into Amine Adli’s barrel should have led to a deficit. Leverkusen’s attacker hit the post. “We weren’t effective enough,” groaned Bayer coach Gerardo Seoane at the missed chances of winning.
Nagelsmann warned Upamecano, who is the future chief of defence, to reduce the error rate as quickly as possible and to choose “simple solutions” more often. But he didn’t demonize the 23-year-old Frenchman: “He’s a machine in defense.” That can also be the 1.95 meter tall and around 100 kilogram athlete Süle – just not for much longer in the Bayern jersey. He currently does not want to comment on the new challenge at BVB (“a giant step”): “The day will come when I will say something about it.” His focus is on the best possible Bayern farewell.
Niklas Süle (in the first leg against Karim Adeyemi) is also important against Salzburg.
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Image: dpa
Süle enjoyed the fact that the 25,000 spectators in the arena not only cheered him after his goal. “I’m thankfull. It’s not a matter of course that I’m playing here, moving to Dortmund and the spectators still call my name when I try to slide a tackle,” he said, impressed. “You can see that I’ve given everything for the club over the last five years and won everything.” He missed this appreciation from those in charge.
On Saturday there were – even before the kick-off – appreciative words from CEO Oliver Kahn: “I think that’s a professional attitude that Niklas shows. He throws everything in here again.” Giving everything, delivering performance, celebrating success – that remains Süle’s drive until the final appearance in the Bayern jersey: “I’ll give everything here until the last day and hopefully win two more titles.” For that must first be defeated on Tuesday Salzburg. Then again with Manuel Neuer in goal.
