The second half of the Bundesliga season hasn’t got off to the best of starts for Bayern Munich with only one point from two games. After the 4-1 defeat to VfL Wolfsburg, Bayern drew 1-1 at home with Schalke 04 although the current table toppers did have to play with 10 men for 73 minutes. Against his old team, World Champion Manuel Neuer saved an Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting penalty. In an interview with DFB.de the 28 year old international goalkeeper spoke about the match, Bayern’s current situation and the upcoming fixtures.
Question: Instead of beginning with the desired 6 points, you’ve come away with just one. How do you assess the situation after the 1-1 draw against Schalke?
Manuel Neuer: This game we have taken a point and it doesn’t feel as if we’ve dropped two points because we played for 73 minutes with 10 men. Even then, Schalke played with a back five which is not so easy to get past. You can, however, still say that we had the better chances. Schalke’s goal came from a set-piece but apart from that, there are not many chances to report on.
Question: You sound surprisingly happy.
Neuer: I don’t believe that we played badly however, it is obviously disappointing when you can’t take three points from a game as planned.
Question: How do you view the triple punishment - red card, penalty and suspension - for Jérôme Boateng und Bayern?
Neuer: We know the rules so we can’t complain. It’s obviously a loss but that’s the way it is.
Question: Did you leave it to chance when you decided on a corner for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s penalty?
Neuer: In the past, he’s always picked the other corner. I think he chose the one on the right from my point of view about eight times in a row. Playing Bayern is always a special occasion and he also knows that I study the penalty takers. So I thought he might plan something special and try to do it differently. That’s why I dived to the left.
Question: Did you think your former club disappointed by failing to pose more of a threat after the Boateng dismissal?
Neuer: We can’t change how the opposition play. Obviously, we can try to take control of the game and force them to play along to some degree. It’s indeed a little strange when you’ve got ten men against their eleven and they don’t really try to attack you.
Question: How do you feel about the upcoming challenges, such as the visit to Stuttgart, the home game against Hamburg and the Champions League tie against Shakhtar Donetsk? Is there any reason for the fans to be worried?
Neuer: No. I think Wolfsburg isn’t on our minds anymore and we all know that we can’t put too much emphasis on the result against Schalke. The fans definitely don’t have to worry.
Recorded by DFB.de.
created by mmc/kr and ap
The second half of the Bundesliga season hasn’t got off to the best of starts for Bayern Munich with only one point from two games. After the 4-1 defeat to VfL Wolfsburg, Bayern drew 1-1 at home with Schalke 04 although the current table toppers did have to play with 10 men for 73 minutes. Against his old team, World Champion Manuel Neuer saved an Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting penalty. In an interview with DFB.de the 28 year old international goalkeeper spoke about the match, Bayern’s current situation and the upcoming fixtures.
Question: Instead of beginning with the desired 6 points, you’ve come away with just one. How do you assess the situation after the 1-1 draw against Schalke?
Manuel Neuer: This game we have taken a point and it doesn’t feel as if we’ve dropped two points because we played for 73 minutes with 10 men. Even then, Schalke played with a back five which is not so easy to get past. You can, however, still say that we had the better chances. Schalke’s goal came from a set-piece but apart from that, there are not many chances to report on.
Question: You sound surprisingly happy.
Neuer: I don’t believe that we played badly however, it is obviously disappointing when you can’t take three points from a game as planned.
Question: How do you view the triple punishment - red card, penalty and suspension - for Jérôme Boateng und Bayern?
Neuer: We know the rules so we can’t complain. It’s obviously a loss but that’s the way it is.
Question: Did you leave it to chance when you decided on a corner for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s penalty?
Neuer: In the past, he’s always picked the other corner. I think he chose the one on the right from my point of view about eight times in a row. Playing Bayern is always a special occasion and he also knows that I study the penalty takers. So I thought he might plan something special and try to do it differently. That’s why I dived to the left.
Question: Did you think your former club disappointed by failing to pose more of a threat after the Boateng dismissal?
Neuer: We can’t change how the opposition play. Obviously, we can try to take control of the game and force them to play along to some degree. It’s indeed a little strange when you’ve got ten men against their eleven and they don’t really try to attack you.
Question: How do you feel about the upcoming challenges, such as the visit to Stuttgart, the home game against Hamburg and the Champions League tie against Shakhtar Donetsk? Is there any reason for the fans to be worried?
Neuer: No. I think Wolfsburg isn’t on our minds anymore and we all know that we can’t put too much emphasis on the result against Schalke. The fans definitely don’t have to worry.
Recorded by DFB.de.
