Neuer: "It is a crowning achievement how we defeated them"
Manuel Neuer has ascended to a very elite circle with the win against Chelsea – his 100th in the Champions League. The victory against the Blues tasted particularly good to him.
Celebrated his 100th Champions League victory against Chelsea: Manuel Neuer. IMAGO/Beautiful Sports
"It's a nice number, of course," said Manuel Neuer on the DAZN microphone. "It's much more important to have won these victories with the team. We celebrate together."
This number of wins is "insane," added coach Vincent Kompany, praising his goalkeeper highly. "He remains a very good example for us," said the Belgian: "He's such a great role model for many of the boys. When I say that the boys have to work hard and be a team, it's easier when someone like Manuel Neuer sets the example. If he does that, everyone has to do it."
After Cristiano Ronaldo (115 wins), his long-time Bayern teammate Thomas Müller (110), and Iker Casillas (101), Neuer is only the fourth player to reach this mark. He is also now the oldest player to make a Champions League appearance for Bayern. At 39 years and 174 days, Neuer surpassed Lothar Matthäus , the most capped player in the Bundesliga.
"We are riding a positive wave"However, the 3-1 victory against Chelsea meant much more to Neuer than his personal milestones. "When you're a Bayern Munich player, you always want to win," Neuer revealed no new details.
That's why the Champions League is always a distant goal. "But you have to do your homework. Chelsea wasn't homework today, but rather the crowning achievement of how we played against them and defeated them today."
Bayern were not only the better team in terms of play, but also cooler with the ball. "We're riding a positive wave," Neuer said, reflecting on the momentum with FCB. And that wave must be ridden as long as possible. The next ride is on Saturday at TSG Hoffenheim.
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