Video: Manuel Neuer makes perfect slide-tackle 30 yards away from goal
Are you at home? Or work? Beware. Because Manuel Neuer could come sweeping in out of nowhere to tackle you. Jokes apart, his skills as an outfield player were at show again as Bayern Munich registered a comfortable 0-4 win over Augsburg in a Bundesliga as they extended their lead at the top of the table to 10 points
Neuer was seen chasing the ball against Augsburg striker Tobias Werner far out from the net as he produced an inch-perfect sliding tackle against the German striker 30 yards out.
But was this really necessary? The scoreboard was tied at 0-0 and the game was barely 30 seconds away to go into the half-time break. Had there been a different player to pass the ball to, both Neuer and Bayern Munich could have been caught off guard. Especially since there was no need for him to make that tackle there.
To be equally fair on his side, Neuer’s bravery outside the penalty box enabled Bayern Munich to play with a much higher defensive line which allowed their central defenders Mehdi Benatia and Jerome Boateng to push forward and play an attacking game. Benatia opened his scoring sheet last night for the German club since his move from Roma last summer.
Manuel Neuer is definitely football’s best goalkeeper at the moment. And it is upon his own merit that he has earned the right to perhaps stand shoulder to shoulder with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the running for the Ballon d’Or award this season. If not anything, this can certainly be seen as Neuer showboating his skills as the final day of judgement for the announcement of the award winner approaches.
Does Manuel Neuer deserve to win the Ballon d'Or? Have your say.