“That perverse smirk was wonderful to see.”

After the German footballing legend at long last began to look like his old self in last night’s 3-0 victory over TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, Manuel Neuer’s fellow German national team colleagues Joshua Kimmich and Thomas Müller were quick to praise him in their post-match comments. 

German giants FC Bayern München were able to secure a 3-0 win over TSG 1899 Hoffenheim last night thanks in large part due to a pair of master-class saves from German footballing legend Manuel Neuer. The 37-year-old delivered by far his best performance since returning from his long-injury layoff.

Questions as to whether the veteran remains the best option to serve as the German Nationalmannschaft’s #1 shall continue, but Neuer certainly delivered an impactful statement. The sight of him sporting a “diebische Freude” (“perverse smirk”) warmed many a German heart on a bitterly cold night.

Neuer himself commemorated his 500th competitive for Bayern. In his post-match interview with German broadcaster DAZN, Neuer retained a self-satisfied smirk when reflecting upon his stellar saves on TSG actors Maximilian Beier and Andrej Kramaric.

Neuer joked that he was able to make the two amazing stops near the hour-mark because he “still remained warm after just coming out of the locker room”. In their own post-match interviews in the frigid Bavarian temperatures, Joshua Kimmich and Thomas Müller commented on Neuer’s visible joy.

“We’re very lucky to have Manu [Neuer] at the back,” Kimmich remarked, “He made some outstanding saves.”

“We needed Manu in the middle of the second half,” Müller added, “It was nice for him and nice for us. That perverse smirk after he made that save was wonderful to see.”

“Everything after that serious injury is a bonus for me,” Neuer said when reflecting on his late-career comeback, “I always knew that I could make it back. We all hoped that it would work out.”

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