Stefan Kiessling: Neuer and ter Stegen are geniuses
Former Germany striker Stefan Kiessling has praised Manuel Neuer and Marc-André ter Stegen ahead of Bayern München's clash with FC Barcelona.
Germany's main goalkeepers meet on Friday as Manuel Neuer and Bayern München lock horns with Marc-André ter Stegen and FC Barcelona at the quarter-final stage of the Champions League on Friday.
In the build-up to the game, former Bayer Leverkusen striker Stefan Kiessling has waxed lyrical about the two German shot stoppers.
"Marc and Manuel are world-class goalkeepers, geniuses between the posts. I can't say who's the better player. Manuel impresses me with his consistency and the experience that comes with it. He has been the number one in the national team for a decide, and even a serious injury couldn't stop him. That maybe leaves Marc a little bit in the shadow. But it doesn't change the fact that he is world class," Kiessling wrote in a column for Kicker and added:
"Both are absolute artists, and each is in a class of his own. With Manuel Neuer, I became particularly aware of this in training with the national team. Some of the saves he made were unbelievable. His overall package is astonishing. He's strong on the line, in the air and a phenomenon with the ball at his feet. Additionally, he's very, very aggressive, sometimes even risky.
"Marc has been under great development at Barcelona, particularly from a footballing perspective. I'm sure that he could also play as a number six. He makes every teammate calm with his passing game and security on the ball. He conveys this calmness with his body language, so as a striker you ask yourself how you're going to outsmart him."