After spending ten months recovering from a broken leg, Manuel Neuer, the goalkeeper for Bayern Munich, made his eagerly anticipated comeback to action on Matchday 9. Since then, he has “rarely been happier.”
Following his fractures to the tibia and fibula in his right leg while skiing over the winter break of the previous year, the 37-year-old had been sidelined. But 350 days after his last appearance in the top division, he was back in goal on Saturday as Bayern easily defeated Darmstadt 8 to 0 at the Allianz Arena.
And in typical imperious fashion, he took up exactly where he left off, with a clean sheet. All four attempts on goal were stopped by Neuer, including a brilliant one-on-one stop in the 36th minute that kept the score at 0-0 against Marvin Mehlem.
Watch: The best moments from Bayern’s victory over Darmstadt (available only in DACH countries until October 31 at 00:01).
As he provided his analysis to bundesliga.com, the Germany No. 1 was understandably beaming at the final whistle: “I’m really happy about that because it was my first game back today.” I have to build everything up, and playing video games is the only way I can do that. Above all, I’m just grateful to be a part of the team and that my first game went so well today.
However, Bayern as a whole did not always appear to be doing that, particularly following Joshua Kimmich’s dismissal in the fourth minute.
Following that, Thomas Tuchel’s team battled a valiant Darmstadt team, but after Harry Kane broke the deadlock early in the second half, the floodgates were fully opened.
Watch: Neuer is pleased with his return.
After the game, Neuer told the Bayern website, “I was positively excited and in some anticipation of what was going to happen out there.” “I was simply ecstatic to be back at the Allianz Arena, to play with the team and in front of my own supporters.
“There were undoubtedly highs and lows, but my desire to go back was constant. I’m still very ambitious, and I’m very appreciative to the many professionals, physicians, fitness coaches, and coaches who helped me achieve my goals. It is my passion to train. The mental aspect of whether it would succeed again was the other thing. I’ve always had faith in it. I’ve never been happier than I am right now, knowing that so many of my friends and family were present in the stadium today.”
With Kimmich out for the match, Neuer’s return is especially welcome for Bayern, who will need to rely on his wealth of experience and big-game acumen when they travel to Borussia Dortmund for the Klassiker next Saturday.
The top five teams in the Bundesliga currently have just three points between them, so Bayern has a chance to establish a statement against their enduring title rivals. Naturally, Neuer is already excited about the possibility of contributing to that.
It’s undoubtedly one of the most significant games for both our supporters and us players because we’re playing in Dortmund,” Neuer remarked.
“I want to go into the game at my peak fitness because I think the international football community will be watching.”
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