Kobel ready for one last Supercup clash with Neuer | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund are set to take on Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in the Westfalenstadion this weekend for the DFL Supercup.

In his “Midweek Interview” with the Bundesliga, Gregor Kobel acknowledged the importance of the Supercup in the lead up to Matchday 1 of the Bundesliga.

“Of course, it’s a cup, and it’s an important game. I think everybody sees it the same way. Every time you play against FC Bayern München, it’s going to be a great game for us, and we know we have to give 110%.

“Everybody is looking forward to the game. But after that, the Bundesliga season starts, so I think it’s going to be a really good moment for us.”

With Manuel Neuer hinting that this season could be his last, the Dortmund goalkeeper was not quick in believing as much.

“This guy is very, very hungry to show his strength. After so many years, the level he’s performing at is very impressive.”

He has no problem with facing the star-keeper on the pitch: “You always want to compete against the best, so I’m always very excited when I can play against him.”

The last Der Klassiker Supercup clash was at the beginning of the 2021-22 season, Kobel’s first and only Supercup appearance, where Bayern prevailed over their rivals 3-1.

The Swiss goalkeeper has yet to feature in a win for Dortmund over the Rekordmeister. He was injured for Dortmund’s sole win in 2024 at the Allianz Arena since his arrival.

With Neuer twelve years his senior, Kobel still has many years before the prospect of retirement.

It’s hard for him to predict whether he will find himself in the same position as the Bayern No. 1, but he seems open to it.

“It’s very impressive what he’s done. To be able to play at this level for that long is incredible. Like I said, maybe you cannot really plan for something like this. I think you have to have the desire and hunger to be successful within yourself. But also your body, your mind, everything has to come together.”

He continued: “I think this is something you’ll see in the next seven or eight years for me. Then I’ll see what kind of mental state I’m in. But it’s nice when you can play this beautiful sport for that many years.”

When asked about his goalkeeping idols growing up, he was sure to keep the German off his list.

“When I first came in, it was different. It was more about Petr Čech, Casillas and all these guys. If you talk about German goalkeepers, there were Kahn and Lehmann. That was more the era for me.”

Though, he still has plenty of praise for his rival, and plenty of determination to stop Bayern from taking home their thirteenth Supercup.

“But obviously, with Neuer’s body of work, especially from the 2010s onwards, it was incredible what he did. It’s always nice to see how he plays the game, how he reads the game and what he does.”