You can’t discuss the best goalkeepers in world football without discussing Bayern Munich and Germany’s Manuel Neuer. In some way, the 34-year-old normalised sweeping amongst modern-day keepers. His performances over the last few seasons have been called into question because of the high standard that he has set for himself. However, after a very successful 2019/20 season, having just completed a treble, it’s a good time to analyse whether his form has returned.
This tactical analysis will take a look at how Neuer’s 2019/20 stats compare to previous seasons, focusing on the 2018/19 season when he was subject to much criticism. We will also take a look at how he is so effective at sweeping and preventing dangerous attacks before they occur and how his shot-stopping technique makes him one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
Neuer over the seasons
Over the past five seasons, Neuer has stood out as one of the best and most consistent goalkeepers in the world, but do his stats prove this? Because a goalkeepers team defence is fundamental to their stats, it’s important to understand how good Bayern Munich’s defence has been over the past five seasons.
The above graphs measure Bayern Munich’s defensive stats from the past five seasons. Goals against per 90 and shots on target faced per 90. It’s evident that overall, Neuer’s defence has gotten progressively worse. He’s gone from conceding 0.44 goals per 90 to 0.97. This is to be expected because of the attacking focus that is now in football. In his most successful season of late, 2019/20, he faced the most shots on target with 3.36 per 90. However, both stats are significantly below the league’s average.
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