FC Bayern München suffered a 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Bundesliga Matchday 11. If the defeat were not punishment enough for the Bavarians, for the first time in 425 days, Bayern have relinquished top spot in the Bundesliga, with RB Leipzig now sitting in first place. Germany No1 Manuel Neuer spoke with the media after the game about their first league defeat of the season and the impressive newcomers from Leipzig.
Question: Mr. Neuer, you have lost the top spot in the table following the 1-0 defeat at Borussia Dortmund. Looking at the standings now must feel weird for you, right?
Manuel Neuer: I was not looking at the standings before the game, but now we have to pay attention again. It is very unfortunate that we lost in Dortmund, but we have ourselves to blame for that. It is not just this defeat, but also the draws we recorded recently, where we gave away victories.
Question: Is your team currently suffering from a mentality problem, which has seen them underperform in recent games?
Neuer: I would not say so. We often had the lead but then gave the game out of hands and dropped points - especially our games against Köln, in Frankfurt and against Hoffenheim come to mind. Those were unnecessary draws for us and it should not happen.
Question: Club chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said while leaving the stadium: “It did not go our way.” Do you agree?
Neuer: We had opportunities to collect a result here against a very strong Dortmund team. In the first ten to 15 minutes they were playing really well and we had not found to our game yet. In the SuperCup back in August, they actually put on a better performance than today. Back then, we only managed to get into the game in the second half. This time Dortmund did not play as well as they did in the SuperCup - but we are still going back home with no points.
Question: Were you surprised with how defensive Dortmund played?
FC Bayern München suffered a 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Bundesliga Matchday 11. If the defeat were not punishment enough for the Bavarians, for the first time in 425 days, Bayern have relinquished top spot in the Bundesliga, with RB Leipzig now sitting in first place. Germany No1 Manuel Neuer spoke with the media after the game about their first league defeat of the season and the impressive newcomers from Leipzig.
Question: Mr. Neuer, you have lost the top spot in the table following the 1-0 defeat at Borussia Dortmund. Looking at the standings now must feel weird for you, right?
Manuel Neuer: I was not looking at the standings before the game, but now we have to pay attention again. It is very unfortunate that we lost in Dortmund, but we have ourselves to blame for that. It is not just this defeat, but also the draws we recorded recently, where we gave away victories.
Question: Is your team currently suffering from a mentality problem, which has seen them underperform in recent games?
Neuer: I would not say so. We often had the lead but then gave the game out of hands and dropped points - especially our games against Köln, in Frankfurt and against Hoffenheim come to mind. Those were unnecessary draws for us and it should not happen.
Question: Club chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said while leaving the stadium: “It did not go our way.” Do you agree?
Neuer: We had opportunities to collect a result here against a very strong Dortmund team. In the first ten to 15 minutes they were playing really well and we had not found to our game yet. In the SuperCup back in August, they actually put on a better performance than today. Back then, we only managed to get into the game in the second half. This time Dortmund did not play as well as they did in the SuperCup - but we are still going back home with no points.
Question: Were you surprised with how defensive Dortmund played?
Neuer: Obviously they know what we are capable of doing. They defended with five men at the back and their full backs pushed up when in possession. That was not a surprise for us. When we saw the line-up, we knew what to expect. They would try to catch us on the counter with their quick players like Aubameyang. With Ramos they also had a player who can hold the ball down well in forward areas.
Question: What exactly was the reason for the defeat?
Neuer: For one, we lacked precision in our final pass. But I also think our set pieces were part of the reason. We had a lot of set pieces, and, of course, you do not have to score a goal from each one, but we should be able to create a clear cut chances from that eventually. The correct approach plays a big part here. In those situations, you have to say to yourself: ‘I am going to go there and score a goal now!’ Like Medhi Benatia or Daniel van Buyten, who always used to go up for set pieces believing that they would score a goal. We are lacking that a bit.
Question: FC Bayern have only managed to win two of their last six Bundesliga games. What has to happen next?
Neuer: We have take win six points from our next two league games.
Question: What is your take on the title race after Leipzig’s 3-2 win in Leverkusen? You are trailing the best newly-promoted side of all time by three points.
Neuer: You have to be wary of Leipzig, but in the end I expect that it will be Dortmund and us playing for the title.
