Bayern drop points in Gelsenkirchen: Manuel Neuer's return to Schalke ends with jeers and a 1:1 draw

For Manuel Neuer, the encounter was an emotional excursion to his footballing homeland. The Gelsenkirchen native had learned his goalkeeping trade in his youth at FC Schalke 04 before moving via 1. FC Nürnberg to FC Bayern Munich, where he rose to become a German goalkeeping icon. Upon his return to the Veltins-Arena, however, he not only had to concede a goal but, according to information from the stadium surroundings, was met with jeers from parts of the Schalker Nordkurve. The atmosphere between homecoming and jeers illustrates the divided relationship that many Schalke supporters maintain with their former keeper.

An emotional return home

On the Schalke side, Miron Muslic stood after the final whistle above all for the first point haul of the still-young promoted side's season. The red-and-white coach, who has only been in charge of the Königsblauen since this summer, saw his team as an equal opponent to the record champions over long stretches. Named in the squad were Dejan Ljubicic and substitute Maximilian Wöber, two players associated with Austrian football.

From a Bavarian perspective, the result tarnished the otherwise successful record of the Kompany era. The Belgian took charge of the team in the summer and had started the new season with victories. Now the previous season's league leaders suffered a setback, against a promoted side of all teams. The loss of the top spot is the first setback of its kind in nearly two years.

Reactions from Austria and broadcast

In domestic terms, the duel between Schalke and Bayern also provided talking points away from the pitch. Pay-TV broadcaster Sky and free-to-air channel OE24 broadcast the match live; commentator Kariu accompanied the broadcast on Austrian free-to-air television. The match was thus also a ratings success on Austrian television.

After the game, it remains to be noted that FC Schalke 04 boosted its Bundesliga points tally with the draw, following up the euphoria of promotion with an initial sporting statement. FC Bayern Munich, on the other hand, must relinquish the top of the table for the first time in almost two years and is already under pressure on the next matchday to reclaim the top spot.

Outlook on the upcoming Bundesliga matchdays

The jeers against Neuer show how emotional the relationship between club and former player in Gelsenkirchen remains to this day. While Neuer is regarded by many Schalke fans as a traitor for leaving the club early for Bayern, others see him as the greatest goalkeeping talent the club has ever produced. This tension visibly accompanied him on his return to the stadium at the Gelsenkirchen Arena.

For the coming weeks, Schalke now faces the task of building on the point gained against Bayern and confirming its quality in the day-to-day business of the Bundesliga. Coach Muslic must above all continue to develop defensive stability in order not to slide into the relegation battle. Bayern, for its part, needs a swift reaction in order not to lose touch with the top of the table.