Manuel Neuer is off his crutches, walking gingerly. There is no date for when Bayern Munich will have their captain back in action, but the hope is that his condition, after breaking a leg while skiing in December, might improve in parallel with better health on the field at his club.
Neuer is one of the few senior Bayern players who can still remember what it is like to finish a season without lifting the Bundesliga shield. They were second in his first year at the club, 2011/12 but never as low again.
A decade of domestic supremacy would endorse Neuer’s status as club icon. His poor judgment in deciding to spend a day on skis in the post-World Cup break, and his subsequent criticisms of the Bayern hierarchy, have damaged the goalkeeper’s standing.
If this German league title, fiercely contested by up to six teams with 14 games to go, ends up somewhere else, Neuer will be among those at whom fingers are pointed. There will be regrets about the departure of Robert Lewandowski, sold to Barcelona after breaking goalscoring records while Bayern extended their monopoly on the title.
There will be pundits wondering out loud if Bayern, in headhunting Julian Nagelsmann as manager 18 months ago, identified the best young manager in Germany or if there are others just as gifted.
Among them Edin Terzic, 40, whose Borussia Dortmund can go three points ahead of Bayern if they win a 10th successive match on Friday, at home to RB Leipzig. Or perhaps Terzic’s predecessor in the Dortmund job, Marco Rose? Rose, 46, has taken Leipzig to within striking distance of the top two and a point off third-placed Union Berlin in what is a compelling battle.
Drop down the table another notch and provincial Freiburg, five points beneath Bayern and Dortmund, must regard themselves as contenders, or at least ready to pounce if others slip up.
With Eintracht Frankfurt, the reigning Europa League champions, just a victory shy of leapfrogging Freiburg, an argument can be made that Germany has the most competitive league, in its upper reaches, of the major top divisions in Europe.
The jump between first place and sixth in the English Premier League, in Italy’s Serie A and in Spain’s Liga stands at over 20 points each. In France’s Ligue 1 it is 16 points – twice as many as separate Frankfurt from the joint leaders.
Form favours the pair who meet at an expectant Westfalenstadion on Friday. Since the World Cup, Dortmund have a 100 per cent record. Since Leipzig hired Rose, who left Dortmund last summer after a single season, they have gathered more points than any rival: 37 from the 17 games Rose has been in charge. The launch pad for that run? September’s 3-0 Leipzig victory over Dortmund in what was the Leipzig-born, ex-Dortmund manager’s first match in charge.
“We’ll go there with a lot of self-confidence,” said Rose, ahead of his first trip back to the Westfalen since he left, “and it’s a big challenge. We need a brave performance.” He’d like a first half like last weekend’s, a 2-1 victory over Frankfurt, when by the 40th minute Emil Forsberg had added to Timo Werner’s sixth-minute opener, or like the second half of Leipzig’s Champions League last-16 first leg against Manchester City, when, having been dominated for the first 45 minutes, Rose’s tactical tweaks re-energised his side, earning a 1-1 draw.
Leipzig 1 Manchester 1: Player ratings
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RB LEIPZIG RATINGS: Janis Blaswich 8: No serious saves to make in first-half despite City’s dominance but no chance with Mahrez’s clinical finish. Excellent one-handed save from Gundogan’s low shot in 73rd minute. EPA -
Lukas Klostermann 5: Struggled to deal with Grealish’s direct running and cuts inside from left. Hooked at break. AFP -
Willi Orban 8: Leipzig’s captain was impressive at back and combined well with defensive partner Gvardiol to keep Haaland quiet. PA -
Josko Gvardiol 7: The Croatian is one of the most in-demand defenders in Europe but was fooled by Gundogan dummy ahead of Mahrez’s goal. Fine thumping header to make it 1-1 in second half. AP -
Marcel Halstenberg 7: Couldn’t handle some of Walker’s attacking runs in first-half. Good cross to pick out Henrichs just after half-time that substitute headed over, produced even better one to set up Gvardiol to level the scores. EPA -
Konrad Laimer 6: Chasing City shadows as the English champions passed rings around their German opponents in first-half. Better after break when Leipzig came out with far more positive attitude. AFP -
Xaver Schlager 5: Badly at fault for City’s opener when he gave away possession leading to Mahrez scoring. Blocked Mahrez shot just after break that looked set to make it 2-0. EPA -
Dominik Szoboszlai 6: Hungarian winger, and former Salzburg teammate of Erling Haaland, came to life in 68th minute with stinging shot from distance that Ederson turned behind for corner. Getty -
Emil Forsberg 6: Like rest of Leipzig’s attackers, offered no threat at all until second half when Leipzig finally decided to make a game of it. Made way for dangerman Nkunku. EPA -
Timo Werner 6: Former Chelsea attacker had Leipzig’s first attempt on goal in first-half injury-time with shot that was easily saved and Leipzig would have wanted far more threat in opposition penalty area from the German international. EPA -
Andre Silva 6: Portuguese attacker was served less than scraps by his teammates in opening 45. Finally made an impact when he skinned Akanji on the hour but saw then his shot from tight angle saved. AP -
SUBS: Benjamin Henrichs (On for Klostermann 46’) 7: Offered some attacking urgency badly missing in opening half. Missed two chances soon after coming on, though – one a more difficult header over bar, the other a side-foot finish dragged wide that he should have scored. Getty -
Christopher Nkunku (On for Fosberg 66’) 5: Scored hat-trick against City last season but is only just coming back from injury. Looked rusty in what was only his second appearance since November. AFP -
Yussuf Poulsen (On for Silva 82’) N/A. Getty Amadou Haidara (On for Schlager 82’) N/A. Raum (On for Halstenberg 89') N/A. -
MAN CITY RATINGS: Ederson 7: A complete spectator until brink of half-time when he comfortably saved a Werner strike. Good save from Silva in 62nd minute and Szoboszlai soon after. Left in no man’s land by fine cross for Leipzig goal. Getty -
Kyle Walker 7: First Champions League appearance of season for England defender who piled forward as much as possible from first whistle. Crucial interception to stop pass putting Silva through on goal in second half when his attacking forays were more restricted. AP -
Manuel Akanji 7: Walk in park for Swiss defender until he was turned inside out by Silva just after hour mark and needed Ederson to come to his rescue. AFP -
Ruben Dias 7: Had game’s first effort on target but could only head Mahrez corner straight at keeper. Out-muscled and out-jumped by Gvardiol for Leipzig goal. PA -
Nathan Ake 7: Continuing at left-back for City and had been under absolutely no pressure until introduction of Henrichs made his life a bit more difficult. EPA -
Ilkay Gundogan 8: German international back on home soil and played important role in opening goal when he let Grealish pass go through his legs to put Mahrez through. Thought he had put City back in front but denied by brilliant save. AP -
Rodri 6: Had three scoring opportunities in first half with one shot and two headers but failed to get any of them on target. AFP -
Bernardo Silva 7: Made one mazy run into Leipzig box in first half, was knocked to floor but able to get up still in possession and set-up chance for Grealish. Buzzed around, tried to make things happen but without much joy in terms of defence-splitting passes. Reuters -
Riyad Mahrez 7: Clean as a whistle first-time finish to put City in front after 27 minutes. Almost made it two just after break but had goal-bound shot blocked. Getty -
Jack Grealish 7: Fine interception and pass to set-up Mahrez for opener. Could have made it 2-0 himself when he cut in from left but sent shot over bar. A threat but final ball and decision-making not always the best. AP -
Erling Haaland 5: Despite City having 74 per cent possession in opening 45 minutes, Haaland had no opportunities to score and little service. Too quick for Gvardiol in 68th minute but scuffed his shot wide with just keeper to beat. Looked a frustrated figure up front. EPA
Rose seemed unfussed about going to his old workplace. “I don’t think my time at Dortmund damaged me,” he shrugged. “A few things happened that meant I am now coach at Leipzig.” Rose can hardly feel the switch is a demotion when his new club boast identical firepower to his former one – 45 league goals for each so far in the campaign – and the same defensive record: 27 goals conceded.
Both Dortmund and Leipzig also have centre-forwards coming back from lay-offs. Sebastien Haller, signed last summer to replace the departed Erling Haaland, has recovered from treatment for testicular cancer, and started three of the last five Bundesliga games. “He’s on a really good path,” said Terzic.
Christopher Nkunku, the France international who picked up a knee injury just before the World Cup, has come off the bench in Leipzig’s last three matches. Rose indicated he could start: “He’s had a good week in training so it’s an option.”
Meanwhile in Munich, where Neuer and his colleagues will watch Dortmund-Leipzig anxiously, there is another high-class striker impatient to be among the goals.
Bayern’s Sadio Mane, who picked up a serious injury in November, made his return with 25 minutes left of last Sunday’s statement 3-0 win over Union. With Haller, Nkunku and Mane all eager to have a say in it, a gripping title race is moving into higher gears.
