Jonas Urbig seized his opportunity in the DFB goal and made a strong impression. Lothar Matthäus now even believes the Bayern keeper is capable of posing a real threat to Marc-André ter Stegen.
Jonas Urbig has clearly made a lasting impression with his first appearances under Jürgen Klopp. The FC Bayern goalkeeper impressed the national team not only with strong saves, but above all with his composure on the ball and his presence in the penalty area.
Lothar Matthäus is therefore taking it a step further. The all-time national team leader now sees Urbig as a serious competitor for Marc-André ter Stegen and draws a remarkable comparison.
In his analysis for Sport BILD, Matthäus writes about Urbig: “His build-up play, his movements, his saves, and the way he intercepts crosses—I thought I was seeing the young Manuel Neuer.”
There could hardly be higher praise for a young Bayern goalkeeper. Urbig has steadily improved at FC Bayern over the past few months and has now also shown, while wearing the DFB jersey, that he can hold his own at the highest level.
More playing time with Bayern could intensify the competition for the DFB starting spot
For Matthäus, Urbig’s future development depends above all on how much playing time he gets in Munich. If the 23-year-old sees more action under Vincent Kompany, Matthäus believes a genuine competition with ter Stegen is possible leading up to the European Championship.
Matthäus writes: “If he gets more playing time at Bayern under Kompany, there could be a head-to-head battle with ter Stegen leading up to the European Championship.”
Ter Stegen remains the number one under Klopp for the time being. Matthäus does not fundamentally question this hierarchy either. The former Bayern pro points to the experience and quality of the Ajax goalkeeper, who recently helped Germany with crucial saves.
At the same time, according to Matthäus, ter Stegen has shown minor uncertainties in building up play and coming off his line. That’s exactly where an opportunity could arise for Urbig if he continues his development at FC Bayern.
For Munich, the situation is particularly exciting. Urbig has long been regarded as a long-term solution for the post-Manuel Neuer era. His recent appearances with the German national team now show that the goalkeeper may be able to establish himself on the international stage sooner than expected.