Overview
- Neuer, who turned 40 on March 27, took the field Saturday at SC Freiburg to become the 11th over-40 player in Bundesliga history at 40 years and eight days.
- The match was his 543rd Bundesliga appearance and his 591st for Bayern, placing him just behind Claus Reitmaier on the age list and making him the sixth goalkeeper in that group.
- He returned from a calf muscle tear after coach Vincent Kompany said he was “100 percent fit,” then misjudged a corner for Freiburg’s second goal before the late turnaround.
- Bayern came from 0–2 down to win 3–2 through a Tom Bischof brace and a stoppage-time winner by Lennart Karl, which softened the impact of Neuer’s error.
- Klaus Fichtel remains the oldest Bundesliga player at 43 years and 184 days, and with Neuer’s contract up this summer and talks slated for mid-April, any extension could let him climb the age list and overtake Mirko Votava’s 546 league games.