Manuel Neuer continued his distinguished form in European competitions, as he played a pivotal role in Bayern Munich’s 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in the first leg of the quarter-finals of the Champions League at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
The German goalkeeper gave a remarkable performance, as he saved 9 out of 10 balls that were shot towards his goal, which contributed to leading the Bavarian team to a valuable victory away from home, thus earning him the “Man of the Match” award.
Neuer’s influence was not limited to stopping balls, but he also participated in the process of building attacks, as he succeeded in completing 37 passes, which is the third highest number for a player in the match.
The match also witnessed Neuer equaling Lionel Messi’s number, after he played his 136th match as a starter in the Champions League, making him only 13 matches away from Iker Casillas’ number, who tops the list with 149 matches.
Bayern had opened the scoring through Luis Diaz in the 41st minute, before Harry Kane added the second goal at the beginning of the second half, while Kylian Mbappe scored Real Madrid’s only goal in the 74th minute.
This victory is considered particularly important, as it represents Bayern’s first victory at the Santiago Bernabeu in 25 years, in addition to being its first victory over Real Madrid since April 2012.
The two teams are waiting for the return match, which will be held next Wednesday at the Allianz Arena, with the winner of the semi-finals facing the victor of the match between Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool.
