European Football Championship - Quarter-final specialist Neuer: iron arm with record values
Manuel Neuer is always the first one there. With a brisk step, he comes down the stairs to the training ground in the EU Quarter in trainers. Then he disappears briefly into the fitness tent. After that, it's straight on to the small side pitch for the goalkeeper drills. It feels like a ritual. It's also a sign: I'm here. I'm first. I'm number one.
Doubts about this status, which arose before the EU prior to the EU Championship, are long gone. Thoughts of a possible end in the German jersey after the home match have not been voiced yet. "I can't tell that yet," said the eternal German number one about the future in the national jersey. After the EU, he will "think about it," added the 38-year-old.
Of course, he was also the first one there for the final training session of the German football team in Herzogenaurach for the quarterfinal against Spain. The oldest player on the German team is especially important on Friday (6:00 pm/ARD/Magenta TV) in Stuttgart. Neuer knows what it's about against Spain.
First stability, then goals
"First, we need the stability we have. We've seen in the past that we're capable of scoring goals. If we overcome resistance and work well defensively, that's the main reason we've made it this far," he said in an interview with MagentaTV.
For him, it's about "putting the last puzzle piece in place." The Bayern goalkeeper wants to crown his impressive international career with the EU title. This is still missing from his vita as a World Champion in 2014. "We've been ready for the EU title for a long time," said Neuer. The strong Spaniards are the ultimate test on the way to the final in Berlin. "I feel good and am looking forward to every game," he assured.
Spain, that's also a special opponent for Neuer. He has never won against the football superpower. In the only win during his tenure in November 2014, Ron-Robert Zieler played as a backup. Neuer's last memory of Spain is bitter. Six goals were scored against him in the black night of Sevilla in the 0:6 debacle in November 2020. Neuer flew helplessly through the air again and again.
Fewer than one goal per game
Without this lesson, his statistics would be even more impressive. In 123 games for Germany, he conceded only 116 goals, less than one per game. In the 2:0 against Denmark in the round of 16, he remained without a goal for the 50th time in a national team game. In a national team game against Spain without a goal? That has only been achieved by Sepp Maier in 1976 and Eike Immel in 1988, in the 2:0 at the last home EU.
81 wins, 23 draws, and 19 losses stand in Neuer's national team record as the German record goalkeeper. 10,980 minutes he stood in the German goal, that's 183 hours or 7.6 days. More than a week of national team football non-stop.
Statistics games of this kind bring Neuer nothing in the 124th national team game. He would rather suppress a younger mistake with a Spain connection. In the Champions League semifinal at the beginning of May, he kept the Real stars at the Bernabeu Stadium scoreless for 87 minutes before slipping up just before the end. A double goal from Joselu could also haunt him on Friday in Stuttgart.
Never a dead end in the quarterfinals
New is the Viertelfinal specialist in the DFB-Pokal. He is undefeated in this tournament phase in all four opportunities in 14 years. And the eternal German number one had a hand in it multiple times. WM 2010 in South Africa: 4:0 against Argentina. EM 2012 in Poland and Ukraine: 4:2 against Greece. WM 2014 in Brazil: A 1:0 against France on the way to the title win. Newer's iron handshake before France's striker star Karim Benzema's shot at the Maracanã is still vivid in memory.
And most recently at the EM 2016: The first German tournament success ever against arch-rivals Italy, as Newer, after a 1:1 after 120 minutes in a dramatic penalty shootout with a total of 18 shots and several missed attempts on both sides, saved the penalties from Leonardo Bonucci and Matteo Darmian. Who knows, Newer could still be called upon as the penalty hero against Spain in Stuttgart.
- Manuel Neuer's dedication to the European Football Championship is evident, frequently arriving at the training ground in Bavaria before anyone else in his DFB jersey.
- Despite doubts prior to the EU Championship, the German national soccer team's Manuel Neuer has silenced any speculation about his future with the team, emphasizing his determination to perform at an international level.
- At Stuttgart's training ground, Manuel Neuer prepares for the upcoming quarterfinal match against Spain, drawing on his experience from previous EU and World Cup competitions in Baden-Württemberg.
- During the final training session for the German team, Neuer served as a source of stability and led the team in Herzogenaurach, setting the tone for their eventual success against Spain.
- In anticipation of the quarterfinal match, Manuel Neuer stressed the importance of maintaining their defensive stability while also capitalizing on offensive opportunities against the Spanish soccer team.
- As Spain presents a formidable challenge for Germany's National soccer team, Manuel Neuer reflects on his past encounters with the football superpower, seeking to secure his first victory against them in the EU Championship.
- Neuer's impressive national team statistics include conceding fewer than one goal per game in 123 appearances, with only 116 goals allowed throughout his career.
- In the 124th match for Germany's National team, Neuer aims to avoid repeating his mistake from the Champions League semifinals, where Real Madrid's Joselu scored two late goals against him.
- With a historical record of 81 wins, 23 draws, and 19 losses, Neuer now faces a crucial milestone in the EU Championship, aiming to deliver a triumphant victory for Germany's National team.
- Neuer has proven himself to be an indomitable force in the quarterfinals of DFB-Pokal, remaining undefeated in this phase of the tournament in all four of his appearances over 14 years.
