Neuer vs. Nübel: Bayern's Goalkeeping Present Meets Future

The saying goes that “the student becomes the master,” but this weekend’s Bundesliga clash between Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart will pit master against apprentice in an intriguing goalkeeping battle. At 38 years old, Bayern and Germany’s long-standing number one Manuel Neuer is undoubtedly one of the all-time great shot-stoppers. However, his days are numbered, and his potential successor could well be the man between the sticks for the opposition - Alexander Nübel.

Nübel, 27, is currently on loan at Stuttgart from none other than Bayern Munich themselves. The Bavarian giants signed the talented young keeper from Schalke in 2020, clearly viewing him as the heir apparent to Neuer’s throne. Nübel’s path to that role has been a winding one, though, having spent two seasons in Monaco seeking regular playing time before joining Stuttgart this campaign.

Now, he has the chance to further stake his claim by going head-to-head with the man he may well be replacing in the not-too-distant future. A strong performance against one of the most dominant sides in Europe would certainly boost Nübel’s credentials.

The numbers this season suggest there is remarkably little to split the two goalkeepers. Both have conceded 1.3 goals per game on average, with Neuer keeping six clean sheets from 20 appearances compared to Nübel’s nine from 27. Their save percentages are also in a similar range, with Nübel edging it at 66% to Neuer’s 65.8%.

Where Neuer has long set the standard, however, is with his role as a ‘sweeper-keeper’ - an outstanding distributor of the ball who is essentially an outfielder for his team. The Bayern captain remains composed in possession, completing 86.7% of his attempted passes as his side dominates territory and possession.

Nübel is certainly no slouch in this area himself though. His passing accuracy of 81.8% is a significant improvement on the 73.1% figure from his final season at Schalke in 2019/20, illustrating his development into a modern, ball-playing goalkeeper. The two average a near-identical number of successful passes per game, around 32.

At 6'3", Nübel certainly has the physical stature and skillset to be considered a more than adequate potential successor to Neuer. What he lacks is the big-game experience and proven leadership over a prolonged period that his Bayern counterpart has displayed for well over a decade.

Neuer’s longevity is quite remarkable - he has been the number one choice for both Bayern and Germany since joining from Schalke himself back in 2011. In that time he has won a quite staggering 26 major trophies, including two Champions League titles and nine Bundesliga crowns. He has set records for clean sheets kept in both the German top-flight and Europe’s premier club competition.

Nübel will surely get his chance at the very highest level eventually, having penned a contract at Bayern running until 2029. But those memories of shaky performances as Schalke were relegated in 2020 do linger, raising questions over whether he has the mentality to succeed under the intense pressure and scrutiny in Munich.

This weekend’s clash in Stuttgart represents the perfect opportunity for Nübel to take a significant step towards banishing those doubts by outperforming his master. Manuel Neuer has been the immovable object in Bayern’s goal for years, but a highly impressive showing could accelerate the transition of the gloves to Alexander Nübel. The apprentice must grasp his chance to prove himself ready to become the master.