Manuel Neuer was outstanding for 87 minutes in Bayern Munich’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Real Madrid – but in the 88th minute it all fell apart.
With Bayern leading 1-0 on Wednesday night, the 38-year-old’s nightmare began with a poor throw to his left, leading to pressure from Madrid and a turnover at a crucial moment.
After a quick exchange of passes in midfield, Madrid sent the ball towards the opposite wing, eventually finding Vinicius Junior in a dangerous position just outside the Bayern penalty area. Vinicius Jr took a few touches inside and then sent a diving effort on target.
Rather than landing softly on Neuer, the ball bounced off his chest and back into play, straight to a hard-charging Joselu, who sent the ball into the back of the net.
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With Bayern reeling, Joselu struck again in stoppage time, converting a cut from Antonio Rudiger to send his side into the Champions League final. Neuer had a look of disgust on his face when the winner entered. He knew it was his mistake that cost his team the match.
The mistake against Vinicius Jr was the type of shot that Neuer had saved thousands of times. This time he was completely wrong, but why?
Mistakes can happen for all sorts of reasons – a lack of concentration, poor positioning or a technical breakdown – but against Real things went downhill simply because of a slight error in judgment from Neuer at a crucial moment.
As Vinicius Jr cut inside and lifted his leg back to shoot, Neuer was initially upright and in a good position with his hands at his side as he prepared for the shot.
As the ball came towards him, Neuer then had to analyze (in a split second, mind you) the pace of the shot, the trajectory of the ball, and the technique he should use to save the ball. The information he gathered told him that the ball was diving toward him, so he needed to use the “basket” technique to make the save.
When you execute the “basket” catch, you want to present your hands toward the ball, creating a path for the ball to follow toward your body. When the shot comes, you guide the ball into your chest/stomach, allowing it to hit your body first and soften the blow. It is then essential to wrap your hands and forearms firmly around the ball and bring your head and body back to grip it while maintaining your momentum and balance.
When the ball was about eight yards from his goal, Neuer began to lower his chest and extend his arms to prepare and absorb the shot into his stomach.
However, when the ball bounced on the grass, it jumped a little higher than expected, catching him off guard.
Neuer did his best to absorb the pace of the shot, but as it came towards him, it continued to rise and ricocheted off his chest to Joselu, who anticipated the rebound and equalized.
Although his decision to use the basket technique was correct, it was his inefficient execution that resulted in a goal.
Neuer’s biggest error in judgment was committing too early and bending his chest prematurely. His ensuing suboptimal stance hampered his chances to catch the ball cleanly, limiting his ability to make adjustments as the ball jumped off the ground a little higher and harder than expected.
If he had kept his body shape straighter and stayed taller for longer, it would have given him the flexibility to adjust to the bounce and caress the ball safely in his grip. His crouching form meant that wasn’t possible.
The black line above Neuer’s back (above) shows the angle at which he must be tilted to handle Vinicius Jr’s on-target shot.
A slightly elevated stance would have been beneficial because it would have put him in a better position to react up or down and minimize the distance his hands had to travel to catch the ball (which also meant he would have been more fast in both directions). ). This would have better kept his body balanced and reduced the risk of falling backwards when trying to catch the ball.
As the ball bounced, you could already see Neuer’s hesitation as his weight began to shift from the balls of his feet to his heels.
That’s when he knew he was in trouble.
As the ball got closer, he began to back away as he tried to prepare to absorb the shot. When the ball hit his chest, it pushed all of his momentum backwards, throwing him off balance and making it virtually impossible to hold the ball. Neuer tried to adapt, but it was too late.
Goalkeeping is all about percentages and knowing what to do in certain situations. In his 20-year career, Neuer saw and did more than anyone, but he was simply wrong.
He told Sky Austria: “Anyone who has ever played football knows how I feel at the moment. That we were eliminated in the finals while leading 1-0 until the 85th minute is extremely bitter. We had taken a step towards London, we saw each other in the final and I no longer have the words. This is extremely bitter for me.
“I expected the ball to land a little differently on my chest, but it went a little higher and it was difficult to catch it. And then Joselu was there faster and it was difficult to defend. For a goalkeeper who has been around for a while, it’s something I’ve experienced before, but the goal was brutal.
Neuer had been brilliant so far. He made five saves, each spectacular. His double save in the first half was as good as any he had made in years, particularly since returning from a broken leg he suffered while skiing 18 months ago.
Some incredible saves from Neuer and Lunin tonight 👏
Which was the best? @Turkish Airlines || #UCLsave pic.twitter.com/8bylSNLMsy
– UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 8, 2024
The life of a goalkeeper can be cruel. You can be turned off for the entire game and then after one mistake you go from hero status to zero and no one remembers or cares how good you were before that. It’s part of a goalie’s brutal existence.