'Greatest of all time': Bayern ace hailed after Champions League masterclass
Manuel Neuer has been anointed as the greatest goalkeeper of all time after helping Bayern Munich lift a sixth Champions League trophy, courtesy of a 1-0 win against Paris Saint-Germain.
The German giants claimed Monday morning's final thanks to a goal from former PSG youth academy graduate Kingsley Coman.
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France international Coman appeared at the back post to head home in the 59th minute, completing a sweeping move from Bayern.
Coman's strike secured a treble for the Germans and punished PSG's wastefulness in the first half as Neymar and Kylian Mbappe both failed to beat Neuer from close range.
The German demonstrated why many view him as the best goalkeeper in the world, with a rock-solid performance between the sticks for Bayern.
The goalkeeper was at his brilliant best to deny PSG an opening goal in the first half after pulling off a superb double save to deny Neymar.
The Brazilian attacker looked to have squeezed a shot through Neuer's legs but the giant German shot-stopper got just enough on it to prevent a goal.
He then stuck out a desperate leg to turn Neymar's dangerous follow-up away, somehow preventing the French giants from taking the lead.
The incredible passage of play proved a sign of things to come with PSG unable to find a way past Neuer or the Bayern defence.
When the final whistle did signal Bayern's sixth European title, it was Neuer stature in world football that many fans were praising.
😲 The reactions
👏 The double save
💪 One Manuel Neuer.
Watch PSG v Bayern LIVE | https://t.co/Uj36ClWI6X#UCLFinal #OptusSport pic.twitter.com/WIInmgMgU6— Optus Sport (@OptusSport) August 23, 2020
Manuel Neuer was arguably Man of the Match today. Another masterclass on the highest level. Easily the greatest goalkeeper of his generation and arguably the best goalkeeper of all time. pic.twitter.com/cSTzYF8g3e
— Europapokalsieger Tweets (@BavarianTweets) August 23, 2020
Neuer is officially the greatest goalkeeper of all time.
— Red Roscoe (@Red_Roscoe) August 23, 2020
Neuer is the greatest goalkeeper of all time. I can't see any argument against it, not at all.
Quality, versatility & well-roundedness, longevity, impact on the game, silverware, you name it, he's got it, and at a historic level too.#UCLfinal #UCLFinal2020 pic.twitter.com/z1hlm5o3Qu— Ahmad - 121 Football (@AJ121_football) August 23, 2020
Neuer is definitely in the argument for greatest goalkeeper of all time, not just this era.
— Juan (@socraticjuan) August 23, 2020
Manuel Neuer’s stature between the sticks is something else, he’s a man mountain and by far the greatest goalkeeper I’ve had the pleasure of watching. Gold standard
— RF9 🇧🇷 (@SambaRole) August 23, 2020
Not only kept a clean sheet, but was the reason for a clean sheet. The greatest in history. https://t.co/XmAVVh4O6Y
— King Boa (@NeuerBoateng) August 23, 2020
Manuel Neuer with the greatest goalkeeper performance in Champions League finals' history at the age of 34.
Easy man of the match.— Saad™️ (@Dostoeyevsky) August 23, 2020
Neuer is the greatest goalkeeper of all time. I can't see any argument against it, not at all.
Quality, versatility & well-roundedness, longevity, impact on the game, silverware, you name it, he's got it, and at a historic level too.#UCLfinal #UCLFinal2020 pic.twitter.com/z1hlm5o3Qu— Ahmad - 121 Football (@AJ121_football) August 23, 2020
Neuer. The. Wall.
Yet ANOTHER block from the Bayern 'keeper.
Watch PSG v Bayern LIVE | https://t.co/Uj36ClWI6X#UCLFinal #OptusSport pic.twitter.com/Cc3dsS4UEd— Optus Sport (@OptusSport) August 23, 2020
PSG denied first European Cup title
PSG were playing in their first European Cup final after billions of euros of investment from the Qatar royal family but they fell short on the final step to glory.
It was not the classic or the goal-feast that many had anticipated but it was high-tempo battle and in the end Bayern just about deserved to emerge victorious.
The German outfit claimed Europe's elite club trophy by winning every game in the Champions League this season.
The victory also completed a treble of trophies for Hansi Flick's side after they also won the Bundesliga and the German Cup.
The Bayern coach opted to start with Coman instead of Ivan Perisic on the left flank and it was an inspired decision.
Jerome Boateng was deemed fit to start in the Bayern central defence, having recovered from a knock picked up in the semi-final win over Olympique Lyonnais.
PSG will regret not taking any of the chances that were offered up to them on a surreal occasion at an empty Estadio da Luz.
Mbappe in particular should have done better than shoot straight at Neuer right on the stroke of half-time.
The France World Cup-winning forward had spoken of his determination to go down in his country's history by helping PSG become just the second French winners of European football's greatest prize.
But they will have to wait for the chance to match Marseille, who won the inaugural Champions League in 1993.
PSG's Qatari owners spent a combined 402 million euros (A$662m) on Neymar and Mbappe in 2017 to win this competition, not just reach the final.
However, in the end it was one who got away from Paris who denied them.
with agencies
