Ahead of the Champions League match against Viking Stavanger, the goalkeeper question is causing some excitement. Vincent Kompany has now provided a clear answer.
At FC Bayern, the goalkeeper question has been settled ahead of the Champions League match against Viking Stavanger. After much recent speculation about whether Manuel Neuer or Jonas Urbig would be in goal in Norway, Vincent Kompany has now set the record straight.
However, the reason for the decision is not related to performance. Neuer cannot participate in the final training session in Stavanger because he is experiencing discomfort in his foot.
When asked about the goalkeeper lineup at the press conference, Kompany explained: “You’ll see today. Manu isn’t training because he’s feeling some discomfort in his foot. So that answers the question pretty quickly.”
This suggests that Urbig will start on Tuesday evening. For the 23-year-old, it would be another opportunity to showcase his skills on the international stage.
This personnel decision was already being discussed even before Neuer’s issues arose. Recently, there had already been indications that Urbig might get a chance against Stavanger. FC Bayern has long been following a plan with the young goalkeeper to give him targeted playing time and gradually prepare him for a larger role.
Urbig gets his next chance
For Urbig, the upcoming appearance comes at an interesting time. During the last international break, he stood between the posts in both of the German national team’s Nations League matches and kept clean sheets against both Serbia and Greece.
At FC Bayern, too, the 23-year-old is set to receive more playing time this season. However, the overall pecking order has not changed recently. Max Eberl made it clear once again on Sunday that Neuer remains Munich’s number one.
The current situation should therefore not be interpreted as a change in the pecking order. Rather, Neuer’s foot problems mean that the question of who will start in goal for Kompany this time answers itself.
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Nevertheless, the personnel decision is drawing particular attention due to Neuer’s most recent performance in Augsburg. In the 2-2 draw against FCA, the 40-year-old made a serious mistake on the early goal conceded. Subsequently, the discussion about his long-term role and Urbig’s prospects gained significant momentum.
Regardless, a possible appearance by Urbig in Stavanger would have been part of Bayern’s long-term planning anyway. Now, Neuer’s physical issue has been added to the mix. This presents Urbig with another opportunity to make a case for himself.