Bayern Munich were unhappy with Arsenal’s first goal during their 3-1 defeat in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
Mikel Arteta’s side took the lead through Jurrien Timber’s header from Bukayo Saka’s corner but Bayern equalised with a close-range strike from Lennart Karl. Arsenal stepped up a gear in the second half and went ahead again through Noni Madueke before Gabriel Martinelli capitalised on Neuer’s mistake to seal the victory.
However, Bayern believe Timber should have been penalised by Italian referee Marco Guida for barging into Neuer moments before Saka took the corner.
‘I was obviously off balance, that’s clear, and then I was in a different position than I would have liked and then I couldn’t get forward as much,’ Neuer said.
‘You know how they do it with set-pieces. The referees know that too. I don’t know about the Premier League but they’ve done it that way internationally as well.
Your ultimate guide to the football season
Metro’s football newsletter: In The Mixer. Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk sent straight to your inbox every Friday – sign up, it’s an open goal.
‘I’m not a goalkeeper who throws himself to the ground. You’ve seen others do that. Maybe that would have helped in this situation. But basically, you have to keep going until the referee blows his whistle. And then, possibly, there’s a free kick.
‘But there is no criticism from me after the game. Those things will eventually happen on our side too where we experience situations like that then we score a goal like that.’
Bayern’s Munich board member for sport, Max Eberl, also believes Timber should have been punished for nudging into Neuer but praised Arsenal for their overall approach to the game.
‘He [Neuer] is blocked and obstructed before the ball is played and once the ball is in the air, he is simply no longer coordinated,’ Eberl said.
‘I’m not saying they won luckily but based on the second half they deserved to win because it’s simply impossible to defend, they create chaos.
‘You can’t defend against chaos. They confuse you, they come in as a unit, they stay long, stay in the middle, come short – you know they’re positioned with three or four men in one of those spots. But you just don’t know when and where.
‘On top of that, they have outstanding crossers like Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka. It’s one of their greatest strengths, it’s no coincidence that they’ve scored 50 per cent of their goals from set-pieces in the last two years. That’s an exceptional figure and it shows. They train it, they even have a dedicated coach for it and it’s evident.’
Former Manchester United goalkeeper, Peter Schmeichel, also agreed with Bayern’s complaint for Arsenal’s first goal.
‘For me, that’s a clear foul because Timber pushes Neuer and throws him off balance,’ Schmeichel told German network Ran at half time.
‘That’s why he can’t get to the ball afterwards and Timber then scores the goal.’
However, former Bayern Munich and Germany midfielder, Michael Ballack, insisted that Arsenal’s opening goal was right to stand.
‘For me, it wasn’t enough for a foul, a normal challenge, not worthy of a penalty,’ he told DAZN.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.