FC Bayern’s goalkeeping issue has been decided ahead of the important Champions League clash against Sporting Lisbon: Manuel Neuer will return in goal, although his deputy Jonas Urbig has recently attracted attention with an outstanding performance. Vincent Kompany is sending out a clear signal – both in the direction of his captain and his promising young keeper
After the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal, Bayern have responded immediately, winning three games in nine days. The coach appeared correspondingly relaxed at the press conference. Against Sporting Lisbon, the aim now is to make the most of the „almost perfect situation“ in the league phase and, if possible, progress directly to the round of 16 without having to go through the intermediate round
In this important match, Kompany is relying on experience – and therefore on Manuel Neuer. The captain was rested against Stuttgart at the weekend and will now return between the posts. An understandable move, as Munich want to „reach their maximum level“, as Kompany emphasized
Bayern’s clear goalkeeping strategy
It is hardly surprising that the question of Jonas Urbig came up anyway. The 22-year-old impressed in the 5-0 win in Stuttgart with composure, strong openings and a presence that even outshone loan keeper Alexander Nübel
Kompany remained consistent, however, and was very open about the goalkeeping strategy: „Precisely because we knew that we had a good, young German goalkeeper in Jonas Urbig, we discussed very, very clearly at the start of the season how he would be deployed.“
The coach emphasized that they had deliberately decided when Urbig should get his chances – regardless of whether Neuer or Urbig had previously played strongly. The plan is long-term, not reactive
Kompany: „If you commit yourself too early, you’ll have problems“
The Belgian went on to explain that the break had „done Neuer good“ and that the strain of the last few weeks had been enormous. Urbig would play again, but not in the clash with Sporting: „Whether it’s one game or another always depends on the situation. I’ve learned as a coach that if you commit too early, you can always get into trouble.“
These statements show two things: Neuer remains the clear number one – but Urbig is not the number two in the classic sense, but a targeted development project that is given fixed windows of opportunity
Looking ahead to the coming years, it is clear that Bayern are systematically building up Urbig. The 22-year-old is a bold, modern player and fits exactly into the profile that Max Eberl and Kompany are striving for for the future of the club. Neuer’s mistakes in recent weeks have not changed this – but they increase the relevance of a young, developing keeper at the back.