Neuer also offered a detailed breakdown of his decision-making during Martinelli’s decisive goal, stressing that the game state forced him into a high-risk intervention, explaining why he rushed off his line.
"When you're behind, you simply have to take a bit more risk, and in that situation, the pass was initially good because it wasn't really going in deep. I could already see that Martinelli was running against [Joshua Kimmich] and was also a bit faster than Jo. I knew then that it would lead to a one-on-one situation and a great chance. I tried to clear it beforehand, and he took him down well. The touch was simply crucial, and then I couldn't reach it anymore, although I knew I was taking a big risk."
This second error also sparked even sharper criticism from ex-Bayern and Germany midfielder Michael Ballack, who said: “That wasn't necessary. Manuel made the wrong decision there. If he goes for the ball, he has to get it, he knows that himself. He decided to take the risk, and is being punished for it.”
Despite the errors, the veteran goalkeeper had kept Bayern alive earlier in the match with several high-level interventions. He finished with five saves, far more than the single stop made by Arsenal’s David Raya. However, Bayern’s structural issues meant those moments were overshadowed by their disorganised second-half performance.
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