Sometimes you get the impression that the social media departments of Bundesliga soccer clubs are only there to spoil excess humor. Football is serious, but not on Twitter.
The media department of Borussia Mönchengladbach also proved this on Sunday when they dedicated a tweet to Yann Sommer, the club’s goalkeeper, and his performance in the game against FC Bayern Munich. It was about the historic best performances that the Swiss had set the night before. Third, it said, “12 tweets from us about him.”
Yes, Yann Sommer, 33 years old, Swiss national goalkeeper, was on everyone’s lips on Saturday night. Summer here, summer there, summer everywhere. The goalkeeper and his rescue efforts became a kind of running gag. Unless you happened to be a player, coach or fan of FC Bayern Munich. They didn’t feel like laughing. “It wasn’t a nice summer’s day for us today,” wrote Thomas Müller on Twitter.
Not much would have been missing for Borussia to live up to their reputation of being the last remaining nemesis of Bayern in Germany. But in the end it was only enough for a 1:1. Only? Oh well.
In the end, 35 shots were counted for Bayern, but only one goal, with which Leroy Sané equalized the visitors’ lead seven minutes before the end of regular time. Everything else thwarted Yann Sommer. “You can take a week off,” said Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann to Gladbach’s number one after the game.
The Munich Arena has often been the scene of outstanding goalkeeping performances. The two Frankfurters Oka Nikolov and – last season – Kevin Trapp have been able to excel here. But Yann Sommer surpassed everyone on Saturday.
He has made 19 saves, more than any other goalkeeper in the Bundesliga since data collection began 30 years ago. Sommer thus replaced the previous record holder Alexander Schwolow, who managed 14 saves for Hertha BSC in January, also against Bayern.
“It was tough, it was really tough,” Sommer said after the game. Whether Thomas Müller’s headers, Sadio Mané’s shots from close range or the direct duel with Sané, who was running towards him alone: ​​Gladbach’s goalkeeper always got his hand or foot on the ball and at some point seemed simply invincible. “We don’t know any different that Yann Sommer plays the game of the year against us,” said Müller.
If it calms Bayern: Sommer also holds balls against other teams that are apparently untenable. The fact that Gladbach didn’t get even deeper into the relegation whirlpool last season was thanks to his consistently good performances alone. “With Manuel Neuer, he is definitely the best goalkeeper in the Bundesliga and an absolute top keeper internationally,” said Borussia coach Daniel Farke.
Sommer has been under contract in Gladbach for eight years now. In Munich he played his 266th Bundesliga game and thus replaced his compatriot Ciriaco Sforza as the Swiss record player. How many more appearances will be added was a question that has seriously concerned many Borussia fans in the past few weeks and months.
Sommer’s contract expires at the end of the season, and the two sides have not yet been able to agree on an extension. The goalkeeper is also in demand elsewhere. His ex-coach Lucien Favre wanted to bring him to Nice this summer, and Manchester United were also interested.
Yann Sommer was asked on Sky whether the game in Munich hadn’t shown that he and Borussia went well together. “If it didn’t go well together, I wouldn’t be here anymore,” he said and then announced further talks for the next few days. “Then we’ll let you know if there’s anything to be informed.” For Borussia fans, that sounded more like a promise than a threat.
