Bayern Munich’s No. 2 goalkeeper has been included in the fallout over this week’s eyebrow-raising Champions League draw against Viking FK. Jonas Urbig started in Manuel Neuer’s place and, while he was far from the only or even the main storyline of the day, conceded three goals as the Bavarians dropped points in a 3-3 draw.
Sofascore has Urbig at -0.44 goals prevented in that game, based on the quality of shots faced. After the match, former German goalkeeping greats Oliver Kahn and Jens Lehmann publicly aired doubts over whether the 23-year-old is truly ready to assume Neuer’s mantle.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany isn’t having any of it.
“I cannot always assess what’s being said on talk shows,” Kompany stated in comments captured by @iMiaSanMia. “We always have a plan and try to stick to it.
“It’s great for us that Jonas is part of the conversation. We’ve developed this situation step by step since he arrived from Köln. We’ve allowed things to develop gradually. Manuel Neuer is a huge part of this whole story; none of it would be possible without him. We have a good setup, and many clubs would love to be in our position.”
The good news is that with Neuer still around, there is no immediate pressure on Urbig. The veteran is not only Bayern’s top goalkeeper option—at least for now—he is also the tallest lightning rod and the first guy to take the heat when things go wrong.
However, performances like this week’s do underscore that while Urbig has enormous promise—both for Bayern and the German men’s national team—he still has a ways to go to truly cement his status.
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