Master Neuer faces apprentice Nübel

In 2011, Bayern raided Schalke for their up-and-coming star goalkeeper Neuer, and the rest is history. After 11 league titles, two UEFA Champions League trophies, a World Cup and more clean sheets than any other shot-stopper in both the German top flight and Europe’s premier club competition, his CV speaks for itself.

With one eye on the future, Bayern returned to Gelsenkirchen in 2020 to pick up Nübel on a free transfer, and given Neuer was already well into his 30s, it seemed a changing of the guard between the sticks was imminent. However, the elder statesman was in no mood to give the upstart his spot, and after just four appearances in all competitions during the 2020/21 campaign, Nübel joined Monaco on loan as he went in search of first-team experience.

The youngster started every single Ligue 1 match across his two seasons in the principality, but it is his form at Stuttgart that has seen him stake a claim for Neuer’s position once more. Bayern still clearly believe in him, too, kitting him out in April 2024 with a new contract that runs out in 2029. While Nübel will remain on loan at the league rivals until the end of the 2025/26 campaign, there is still plenty of time for him to impose himself at the Allianz Arena, and even Mr. Longevity himself will have to hang up his gloves at some point. Nübel gaining his first Germany cap in a 2-1 win in Bosnia shortly before his visit to his parent club (and after Neuer's international retirement), will not have done his long-term case any harm, either. 

Nübel certainly showed maturity and consistency in Stuttgart's stellar 2023/24 campaign that saw them finish runners-up. Only Bayer Leverkusen’s Lukáš Hrádecký (15) finished the season with more clean sheets than Nübel’s 11. Neuer recorded seven, albeit having played only 23 of Bayern's 34 matches due to injuries. Nübel’s goals conceded per game came out at a slightly healthier 1.2 compared to 1.4 for Neuer.

With both of their teams regarded as stronghouses, the two Germans are not peppered by shots and instead spend large portions of games watching attacks at the opposite end of the pitch. As a result, neither rank particularly well in the Bundesliga in terms of save percentage – Nübel is ahead in the 2024/25 season with 59 percent to Neuer’s 46 percent.

Instead, the latter has built a reputation as one of the best ball-playing goalkeepers in world football, having perfected the sweeper-keeper role earlier in his career. He is not quite as adventurous nowadays, but remains comfortable in possession while also patrols his box expertly with superb timing. For a side that controls territory and the ball for large portions of fixtures, his composure is crucial.

Watch: Nübel's best saves

Sebastian Hoeneß’s Stuttgart, meanwhile, adopt a similar style, and Nübel has also displayed the attributes of a modern custodian. There has been a significant improvement in his passing since 2019/20, his last term at Schalke - and he even picked up his first-ever assist in the Bundesliga with a long ball converted by Jamie Leweling in a 3-3 draw against Mainz on Matchday 2.

The pair chalked up similar figures on throws per match last season, and the two also stand shoulder-to-shoulder in a number of other departments. Quite frankly, Nübel is similar in numerous ways, even matching Neuer’s 6’3” in frame.

What he cannot yet match, though, is Neuer's immense experience. Few goalkeepers, or indeed any footballers, have had an impact quite as great as Neuer, the current club captain at Bayern. Since making his debut for Schalke way back in August 2006, the goalkeeper has made 506 Bundesliga appearances - more than any other player currently active, with only ten players making more appearances in the league's history. Nübel, meanwhile, is in just his fourth Bundesliga campaign as he slowly approaches 30 years of age, although Stuttgart's superb last season has seen him add to his four Champions League outings to his name prior to 2024/25.

Watch: The best of sweeper-keeper Neuer

Whether he can match Neuer’s leadership and reliability remains a question mark. He has gone a long way to showing he can be a key part of a successful outfit, but a slew of mistakes during the second half of Schalke’s 2019/20 relegation season – by which time he had already committed his future to Bayern - are not easily forgotten, especially under the intense Bavarian spotlight.

Nübel, though, will surely get his chance after Bayern say goodbye to a hero, and he has a fantastic opportunity to show his employers what they are missing right now at the Allianz Arena in Matchday 7’s standout match-up. It is up to him whether he takes it.