FC Bayern Munich wants to forget the Arsenal setback in the Champions League against Sporting Lisbon. Munich captain Manuel Neuer returns to the goal – despite the strong performance of his representative Jonas Urbig recently.
FC Bayern Munich has already accumulated three wins in a row in the past nine days 1:3 setback against Arsenal Londonthe first defeat of this fabulous season so far, seems to have been forgotten for now. And so coach Vincent Kompany also seemed satisfied at the press conference one day before the next Champions League duel.
Also because he played against Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday evening (6.45 p.m., live in the radio report in the BR24Sport Livecenter) knows one thing for sure: “If we reach our maximum level, it will also be difficult for Sporting.” Just like for all opponents this season. After the defeat against Arsenal, a win against the Portuguese champions is of great importance, after all, the Munich team only needs a success at best in order not to slip out of the top eight teams in the league phase.
Goalkeeping question resolved against Sporting: Neuer returns
Unlike last season, this time the Upper Bavarians want to avoid the intermediate round (and possibly close games like the last one against Celtic Glasgow to advance) and move straight into the round of 16. “The statisticians I spoke to said: Five games plus one point, then you’re virtually guaranteed to be through. That means: We have to get four points from three games,” said Kompany. “But I don’t like to think like that. Tomorrow we play at home – and our situation is almost perfect. We have to take advantage of that.”
This is probably why captain Manuel Neuer returns to the Munich goal against Sporting, He was spared in the 5-0 win last Saturday. Unlike Neuer, who is in the also allowed for a few minor errors in the past few weekshis representative, 22-year-old Jonas Urbig, played confidently against Stuttgart. He was always playable in Neuer’s style and sent fine long balls into the center of the attack. He also overshadowed Alexander Nübel from Stuttgart, who has been loaned to Swabia by FCB and would also like to become the new successor.
Kompany emphasizes: “We have a good, young German goalkeeper in Jonas Urbig”
That’s why the question arose at the press conference about Urbig playing against Sporting. Kompany now emphasized the goalkeeper question: “Precisely because we knew that we had a good, young German goalkeeper in Jonas Urbig, we discussed it very, very clearly at the beginning of the season how he would be used. So that when Jonas plays like he did against Stuttgart, we can remain very stable.”
The resolution also applied: “If Manuel performed well, we knew that Jonas was coming. And now Jonas has performed well and we knew again that this question would come.”
Urbig should be available for Neuer again sooner or later
Kompany thought this break was good for Neuer with four games in eleven days. He wants to use Urbig again at the right time, but not against Sporting. “Whether it’s one game or another, it always depends on the situation. I’ve learned as a coach that if you decide too early, you can always run into problems.”
Neuer could then have to deal with an amazingly offensive team by Allianz Arena standards. Unlike many German opponents, Kompany expects Lisbon players to be bold on Tuesday, with “great technical talent” – and “a back four that not only defends, but is also very active on the ball.”
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Source: BR24 Radio December 8, 2025 – 4:54 p.m
