"What a blunder on my part!" Manuel Neuer of FC Bayern Munich delivers a rare moment of self-criticism after his historic gaffe-yet still finds time to praise himself

"It was a tricky situation; I intended to play the ball out to Stani [Josip Stanisic] on the right, but I executed the pass really poorly. It was just a poor pass from me,” Neuer told reporters in the mixed zone. The error also served as a wake-up call: Real Madrid were punishing any slip-up, and the tie was far from over. “It’s obviously a rubbish start for me, but I have to put that behind me and keep playing, just as we always do,” he added.

He also looked exposed for the second goal, when Güler curled a free-kick into the net. Asked whether he spotted the shot too late or if it had been placed too perfectly, the veteran replied: “No, it was a superb strike. In terms of pace too.” Speaking to DAZN, Neuer also called his mistake for the opening goal a “lucky ball” and praised Güler’s excellent left foot. “There was good power behind it; he can do that easily and that’s what sets him apart.”

Sporting director Max Eberl, speaking after the 4-3 win to DAZN, acknowledged the disappointment but reminded everyone that “in football, one game you’re the hero, the next you’re the fool when you make a mistake.” In the first leg, Neuer had been instrumental in Bayern’s 2-1 win, making several brilliant saves and earning UEFA’s Man of the Match award. Even then, however, his attempts to speed up play occasionally backfired—just as they did when Güler struck his first goal—highlighting a risk that remains part of his game.

Nevertheless, Eberl praised Neuer for his outstanding 55th-minute save against Kylian Mbappé that kept the score at 2–3. “We mustn’t forget that,” he said. Neuer, never one to shy away from self-praise, agreed. “That was the decisive one. Trent [Alexander-Arnold] delivered a superb cross, he volleyed it on the bounce and it went high. Then it’s perhaps one of my classic saves, the way I caught it,” he said.

Eberl stressed that one errant pass will not define the 40-year-old’s future. “To make a decision on a contract extension based on a single misplaced ball—which is part of Manu’s game—is not how FC Bayern operates.” As widely reported, the No. 1’s current deal expires at the end of the season.

CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen underlined that the decision to continue guarding the Bayern goal for another year rests solely with the player. Eberl, however, clarified that no formal offer has been tabled. “We have spoken to Manu. The discussions are only happening around us, but we are very, very clear with Manu. He has told us he wants to play these April games; that’s when everything will become clear: his fitness, his sharpness, his desire for another year. He needs to signal that to us, then we’ll weigh things up and a solution will likely emerge, unless his demands are utopian, which I don’t anticipate.”

At Tuesday’s return-leg press conference, Neuer said he would soon announce his decision. “I don’t think it will be too long,” he explained, “before I pluck up the courage to decide. Then, of course, I’ll talk to the club.” Sport Bild now rates a one-year extension for the 2014 World Cup winner as “likely”. However, this extension would come with reduced game time for the 2014 World Cup winner next season. His understudy, Jonas Urbig, is expected to gain valuable match practice as part of the club’s preparation for the post-Neuer era; reports suggest the 22-year-old could start as many as 20 matches.

Urbig has already started 14 matches this season, partly due to Neuer’s month-long absence at the start of the year caused by two muscle injuries, which forced the veteran to miss six games.

Neuer was sidelined again around the international break at the end of March, missing four matches due to a torn muscle fibre. He returned in early April against SC Freiburg, shortly before the first clash with the Madrid side. Those outings took his Champions League starts tally to 136 and 137, moving him ahead of Lionel Messi (136). Real Madrid legend Iker Casillas still leads the all-time list with 149 CL starts.

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