After Bayern win over Pafos: Manuel Neuer chases Ronaldo record | OneFootball

Manuel Neuer is making headlines not just with his saves, but also by setting new statistical benchmarks. After his latest Champions League appearance, the Bayern captain is just a handful of wins away from making history.

The emphatic 5-1 victory by FC Bayern against Pafos has brought a special record within Manuel Neuer’s reach. At 39, he now belongs to the exclusive circle of the three most successful players in Champions League history. With the win in Cyprus, Neuer has caught up with former Real Madrid keeper Iker Casillas and now stands at 101 victories in the competition. He needs just 14 more wins to surpass Cristiano Ronaldo (115) as the record holder.

In the opening win against Chelsea (3-1), Neuer reached the milestone of 100 victories. Now, only his long-time teammate Thomas Müller (110) and Ronaldo are ahead of him. “It’s a nice number. But what’s much more important is that I’ve achieved these wins with the team. That’s something we can all celebrate together,” Neuer explained after the Chelsea match on DAZN.

Oldest Bayern Player in the Champions League

Photo: IMAGO

Neuer made history not just in sporting terms, but also in terms of age. The captain is the oldest Bayern player ever to appear in a Champions League match. At 39 years and 174 days during the Chelsea game, he surpassed Lothar Matthäus, who previously held the record at 38 years and 353 days. Matthäus played his record-setting match on March 8, 2000, against Real Madrid. Against Pafos, Neuer was another 13 days older.

Vincent Kompany was impressed by his goalkeeper after the milestone: “That number of wins is ‘insane’,” said the coach. He also emphasized: “He remains a great example for us. He is very humble, and he’s such a huge role model for many of the boys.”

The number of clean sheets is also remarkable: Neuer has kept a clean sheet in 62 Champions League matches. With his saves, he played a crucial role in two title wins—lifting the trophy with FC Bayern in 2013 and 2020.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.