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Bundesliga Review: Wolfsburg slip helps move Bayern well clear
22 November 2014
Wolfsburg's slip-up and a typical Bayern Munich thrashing moved the champions seven points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.
Bayern underlined their dominance over German football with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Hoffenheim at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.
Hoffe's bold approach to taking on the champions was always likely to bring a degree of risk, and the backlash began in the 23rd minute when Mario Gotze arrowed home a stunning long-range drive.
Robert Lewandowski was on hand to make it 2-0 with a simple header just before the interval, while Arjen Robben provided a delicate finish for the third and substitute Sebastian Rode took a more robust approach to rounding off the scoring three minutes from time - before there was further misery for the hosts when Adam Szalai was sent off in injury time.
The home crowd also welcomed back Bastian Schweinsteiger from a long-standing knee injury in the second half, and Bayern's joy was boosted by nearest challengers Wolfsburg losing 3-2 at Schalke.
The Gelsenkirchen club went into the game having won all three of their home games under Roberto Di Matteo and Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting's double in the first 22 minutes put them on track.
Christian Fuchs scored an impressive free-kick to put Schalke three to the good before the half-hour and end the game as a contest.
Wolfsburg came back into it though, Ivan Perisic crossed for Ivica Olic to hit back before the interval and Nicklas Bendtner drilled his first Wolfsburg goal - though it was not enough.
Paderborn battled from two goals down to seal a controversial 2-2 Bundesliga draw with Borussia Dortmund.
Dortmund took a deserved early lead through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's tap-in before Marco Reus slotted home on the stroke of half-time as the visitors looked on course for a second successive league win.
But Lukas Rupp gave the hosts hope midway through the second half with a terrific individual strike before Reus' afternoon ended following a strong challenge from Marvin Bakalorz, who was arguably lucky to only be given a yellow card.
That injury noticeably rocked Jurgen Klopp's men, who had a Kevin Grosskreutz effort ruled out for offside when Dortmund led 2-1 and Mahir Saglik's header snatched a share of the spoils.
Bayer Leverkusen beat Hannover 3-1 to move into fourth place - second-half goals from Stefan Kiessling, Son Heung-min and Karim Bellarabi doing the damage.
Elsewhere, Hertha Berlin moved four points clear of the bottom three with a 2-1 win over Cologne, Eintracht Frankfurt came from behind to beat Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1 and Stefan Bell's late effort snatched a 2-2 draw for Mainz at home to Freiburg.
Bundesliga Review: Hamburg secure derby win, Stuttgart beaten again
23 November 2014
Hamburg left it late to secure a dramatic 2-0 Nordderby win over Werder Bremen that moved them out of the Bundesliga relegation zone.
Bremen looked set to secure a point at a sold out Imtech Arena on Sunday, but the home side scored two late goals to leapfrog their arch-rivals in the table.
Substitute Artoms Rudnevs came off the bench to break the deadlock six minutes from time with a close-range finish after Bremen had dug deep to frustrate Josef Zinnbauer's side.
Bremen's hopes of salvaging a point all-but ended when Clemens Fritz was shown a second yellow card after 89 minutes.
And the Hamburg added insult to injury when Tolgay Arslan, another substitute, struck the post with the goal gaping only for Bremen goalkeeper Raphael Wolf to divert the ball into his own net when he attempted to catch the rebound.
Hamburg's victory was only their third of the season and ensured they also move above Borussia Dortmund, while Bremen are second-bottom.
Stuttgart remain at the foot of the table after they were consigned to a 1-0 home defeat against Augsburg in the only other Bundesliga game to be played on Sunday.
Arim Veh's men were always going to be up against it after Daniel Schwaab was shown a second yellow card after only 28 minutes, but it was not until 18 minutes from time that the visitors took the lead.
Stuttgart were furious when referee Thorsten Kinhofer pointed to the penalty spot after Raul Bobadilla's cross had struck Adam Hlousek on the arm.
Paul Verhaegh converted from 12 yards and there was no way back for the home side, who have now lost three games in a row without scoring a goal.
Dortmund stopped me joining Real Madrid - Gundogan
By Joe Wright
Nov 23, 2014 19:57:06
The midfielder is determined to recapture his top form following his injury nightmare and has his eyes set on a move to a major club in England or Spain
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has revealed the club once turned down a transfer bid from Real Madrid.
The Germany international became one of the hottest properties in Europe in the 2012-13 season thanks to his performances both in the Bundesliga and Dortmund's run to the Champions League final.
A back injury has since blighted his career, with Gundogan forced to miss most of the last 18 months of football, including Germany's successful campaign at the World Cup this summer.
However, the 24-year-old is determined to recapture the form that led Madrid to make a move for his services and says his heart is set on joining a major club in England or Spain in future.
"Real Madrid made a bid but my club didn't want to accept it. I was under contract for two more years," he told TRT.
"My injury broke my plans. I didn't play for 14 months. Now I want to make up for this time with success. One day, I'll leave here, I want to play for one of the big teams in Spain or England."
Gundogan is also desperate to enjoy success at Euro 2016 after missing out on Brazil this summer and says he still hopes to get his hands on the World Cup trophy.
"I was not supposed to be injured for the World Cup. I would have been in the first XI," he said.
"We were very good and it went to plan. I'm sad I didn't realise my dream but I have Euro 2016 in front of me. I want to add a World Cup in my career."
The former Hamburg boss opted to quit, bringing a disappointing end to his second spell in charge
Armin Veh has resigned as head coach of struggling Stuttgart after a seventh defeat of the Bundesliga season on Sunday.
The 1-0 loss to Augsburg was the final straw for the 53-year-old, who informed the club's board of his decision to step down after the match.
Veh, who managed Stuttgart between 2006 and 2008, only returned to the club in May, signing a two-year contract.
But after two wins from their opening 12 matches they sit bottom of the table and club president Bernd Wahler confirmed Veh's decision on Monday.
"Armin Veh informed us last night in an interview about his decision," he said. "He is convinced that a change to the coach position is necessary to get back on track.
"We respect his decision."
In a statement Veh thanked the fans for their support during a tough start to the campaign, and took full responsibility for their disappointing form.
"The team is better than the place in the table," he said. "Nine points from 12 games are just not enough.
"For that, I am responsible.
"I thank the club's management, in particular the president, for the confidence placed in me. And it is my strong desire to thank the fans. You have given us fantastic support."
Stuttgart, who have now lost three matches in a row, will begin the post-Veh era on Friday with a trip to a Freiburg side just three points above them.
Dortmund should not have humiliated Bayern - Watzke
Stefan Coerts
Nov 25, 2014 11:55:43
The Dortmund CEO feels their impressive performances against the current Bundesliga holders have eventually caught up with them
Borussia Dortmund chief Hans-Joachim Watzke believes the club have paid the price for humiliating Bayern Munich 5-2 in the 2012 DFB Pokal final.
The Signal Iduna Park thrashed their arch-rivals in Berlin two seasons ago, but have since been unable to keep up with Bayern after losing Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski to the Bavarians.
Bayern are now also interested in signing Dortmund star Marco Reus and Watzke feels the situation would have been different had they not beaten the Allianz Arena side by such a big margin in the cup final.
"The decisive mistake was that we scored two goals too many in Berlin," Watzke said at the club's general assembly.
"Bayern could have accepted a 3-2 defeat, but a 5-2 loss was too much for them.
"Bayern's dominance in Germany is down to their expenses on players."
Dortmund have been struggling to find their best form this season and currently sit 16th in the Bundesliga table, trailing leaders Bayern by 19 points.
Huub Stevens has returned to coach Stuttgart for a second time, just six months after leaving the Bundesliga outfit.
The Dutchman first took over at the club in March this year, replacing Thomas Schneider.
He successfully steered the team away from trouble, as Stuttgart ended the 2013-14 campaign 15th, one place and five points clear of the relegation play-off berth.
Stevens departed at the end of the season and was replaced by Armin Veh, who resigned on Monday after a poor start to 2014-15, with Stuttgart bottom of the table after 12 games.
"Huub Stevens will be the new head coach of the VfB," a brief statement on the club's website read.
"The 60-year-old takes over with immediate effect and will already lead the team training on Tuesday afternoon."
Stevens' appointment marks his seventh tenure in charge of a German side, after two previous stints at Schalke, as well as spells at Hertha Berlin, Cologne and Hamburg.
Shaqiri can ´probably´ leave Bayern, says Beckenbauer
26 November 2014
Bayern Munich's honorary president Franz Beckenbauer has conceded the club are likely to let Xherdan Shaqiri move on in January.
Shaqiri, 23, has been restricted to just three Bundesliga starts so far this season, while each of his four appearances in the UEFA Champions League have come as a substitute.
The Switzerland international's continued lack of game time has led to speculation over his future.
And Beckenbauer expects Shaqiri to find a new club when the transfer window reopens in the new year.
The 69-year-old told Sky: "Bayern have already sent out a signal and indicated to him that he can probably go in the winter break, when he wants.
"I think it's a shame because he is a great talent."
Shaqiri, who joined Bayern from Basel in 2012, has been heavily linked with a move to Serie A.
Schalke will be without Joel Matip until the new year after scans revealed the defender suffered a hairline fracture in his foot.
The 23-year-old has been struggling with a bruised foot since October, but was able to play 18 minutes in Saturday's 3-2 win over Wolfsburg.
However, he was not present in Tuesday's humbling 5-0 defeat to Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League due to the injury.
He is now set for a period on the sidelines after Schalke revealed the extent of the problem and the steps needed to return him to full fitness.
"Joel Matip will go into surgery to repair a hairline fracture in his right foot," a statement on the club's website read. "The procedure will involve the defender having a plate inserted into his right foot in order to close and secure the break.
"The Cameroon international will be unable to feature for Schalke until after the winter break.
"The 23-year-old will have to spend a couple of days in hospital after the operation and have a special shoe fitted to aid his recovery."
Matip, who represented Cameroon at the World Cup, has made eight appearances for Schalke this season, scoring two goals.
Viktor Skripnik's positive impact at Werder Bremen has earned the Ukrainian a new three-year contract with the Bundesliga club.
The 45-year-old stepped up from the club's Under-23 team in October after Robin Dutt had been sacked following a dismal start to the season.
Under Dutt, Werder failed to win a single league match and were bottom of the table when Skripnik took over.
His arrival sparked an immediate upturn in form as Werder claimed three successive wins in all competitions, only tasting defeat for the first time last weekend against Hamburg.
Following his impressive start the club have tied him, and his coaching staff, down to a new deal that will see Skripnik remain at Werder until June 2017.
"We are delighted that this trust is placed in us," said Skripnik. "We are connected by a major identification with the club.
"We will do everything we can to be successful again.
"We want to get out of the relegation battle as quickly as possible and continue to develop the team."
Werder could be out of the bottom two this weekend if they can beat Paderborn and other results go their way.
Bundesliga Preview: Schalke and Bayern out to bounce back from Euro setbacks
26 November 2014
Schalke will look to bounce back from their UEFA Champions League humiliation when they host Mainz on Saturday.
Roberto Di Matteo's side were thrashed 5-0 in front of their home fans by Chelsea on Tuesday - a stark reminder of just how much work the Italian has to do at the Veltins Arena.
Schalke dropped to third in Group G as a result and now need to win in Maribor - and hope Sporting Lisbon lose at Chelsea - on matchday six to progress.
The big home defeat went against the trend of Di Matteo's short time in charge of Schalke - that being wins at home and losses on the road.
Di Matteo had led Schalke to three straight home wins before the Chelsea loss, but is yet to pick up a point on his travels.
So the coach - who led Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2012 - will surely welcome another home fixture, with this one coming against the ninth-placed Mainz, who have not won in four.
Schalke sit seventh themselves and are only three points adrift of third.
Leaders Bayern Munich were also beaten in Europe's premier club competition on Tuesday, conceding twice in the last five minutes to lose 3-2 at Manchester City.
The rare defeat is sure to leave Pep Guardiola's men angry ahead of their visit to the German capital to face Hertha Berlin.
Bayern are the only team yet to lose in Bundesliga this season and have scored 31 goals in their 12 matches.
Guardiola's side lead the league by seven points and will hope attacker Mario Gotze - the league's joint top-scorer with seven goals - can continue his excellent start to the campaign.
Frankfurt's Alexander Meier is the other player in Bundesliga with seven goals this term.
Meier is in action against Borussia Dortmund on Sunday, as Jurgen Klopp's men look to continue their rise up the table.
Dortmund still sit 16th - four places blow Frankfurt - but could climb to 13th with victory.
Also on Sunday, Bayern's nearest rivals, Wolfsburg, will look to respond to a defeat at Schalke when they host the third-placed Borussia Monchengladbach.
The two sides are separated by just three points.
Bayer Leverkusen, who sit fourth, host Cologne in a local derby on Saturday, while Werder Bremen face Paderborn and Hoffenheim take on Hannover.
Augsburg and Hamburg also meet on Saturday, while Friday's fixture sees rock-bottom Stuttgart go to Freiburg.
The 25-year-old took part in practice on Friday night and may feature in BVB's meeting with Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday, but Sven Bender has been ruled out
Borussia Dortmund could have Mats Hummels available this weekend after the centre-back came through training on Friday.
The World Cup-winning defender has been out of action after sustaining ankle ligament damange in the 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich on November 1.
Having returned to training, though, the 25-year-old could now be used by Jurgen Klopp for Sunday's Bundesliga trip to face Eintracht Frankfurt.
"Since yesterday [Thursday] he has been in football boots and has completed an intensive programme in the last few days," Klopp told Dortmund's official website.
"Mats is pain-free, now we have to see whether it is enough for Sunday."
However, Sven Bender missed Friday's session with an adductor problem that was picked up in the Champions League meeting with Arsenal in midweek, while Ciro Immobile also sat out as a precaution.
Following Stuttgart's win over Freiburg on Friday, Dortmund currently sit second from bottom in the Bundesliga.
The German side have won only three league games so far this season and sit third bottom in the table but the coach is sure they can climb back up
Jurgen Klopp is convinced Borussia Dortmund's fortunes will turn soon despite a disappointing loss to Arsenal in the Champions League.
Wednesday's 2-0 defeat was Dortmund's first loss in Europe this season and added to their frustrating form in the Bundesliga.
Klopp's side have only won three times all season domestically and sit third bottom in the table with only 11 points from 12 matches.
However, the head coach believes things are beginning to come together and Dortmund are ready to turn their campaign around, starting at Eintracht Frankfurt this weekend.
"This is no picnic," he said of Dortmund's current situation. "You have to deal critically with it.
"The team is now fitter than at the beginning of the season. We must not lose our positive view.
"None of the players is at the upper limit, we have to keep working. All of our attackers weren't good enough in London, but the key is to stay positive.
"We are convinced that we will fix this situation. We must all take responsibility."
Klopp will make late checks on the fitness of Mats Hummels (ankle) and Sven Bender (hip) before Sunday's clash, but Jakub Blaszczykowski (muscular injury) is still away off a first-team return.
Bayern Munich have announced a club-record turnover of €528.7 million for the 2013-14 season.
The German champions held their annual general meeting in Munich on Friday and revealed the impressive numbers to members, marking a huge improvement on the previous year.
Bayern made €432.8m in turnover in the year before, with the new results coming in almost €100m higher, while the Bundesliga giants' post-tax profit stood at a little over €16m.
The club earned €95.6m before tax, interest, amortisation and depreciation for 2012-13 campaign - when they won the treble - but the new figure of €98.7m marks another increase.
Deputy CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen believes Bayern are in an unprecedented era of prosperity - both on and off the pitch.
He said: "Bayern Munich can present to its members results that have never existed in the history of this club.
"There is no doubt Bayern are both on a sporting level and financially at a stage they have never been before."
Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed that the club's stadium, the Allianz Arena, is now paid off and pledged that their policy of providing affordable game tickets will continue.
"I'm delighted to confirm that the stadium is completely paid off," he commented.
"We will continue to stand for fair, affordable and socially acceptable ticket prices."
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar moved past a century of Schalke goals with a hat-trick in Saturday's 4-1 Bundesliga win over Mainz at the Veltins Arena.
The Netherlands international came into the clash on 98 goals for the Gelsenkirchen club but needed just over an hour to hit his 100th Schalke goal and ease them to consecutive league wins.
Roberto Di Matteo's side were humbled 5-0 by Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday but recovered well on their return to domestic action, assuming the lead through Huntelaar's flick nine minutes in.
The former Real Madrid man then moved to 100 goals for Schalke before the half-hour mark, with Shinji Okazaki's strike before the interval the only negative for Di Matteo.
However, Tranquillo Barnetta restored the two-goal lead early in the second half before Huntelaar completed his hat-trick - having previously failed to score for Schalke since October.
Bayer Leverkusen also enjoyed a dominant home win - Josip Drmic and Karim Bellarabi each scoring twice in a 5-1 victory over Cologne.
Matthias Lehmann had given the visitors a surprise lead at the BayArena before Bellarabi levelled matters before the break.
Hakan Calhanoglu put Roger Schmidt's side in front after the hour before Drmic completed a quickfire brace, with Bellarabi rounding off the scoring.
Hamburg's inconsistency was again on show at the SGL Arena as they threw away a one-goal lead in their 3-1 defeat to Augsburg.
Second-half goals from Halil Altintop, Raul Bobadilla and Paul Verhaegh cancelled out Rafael van der Vaart's opener as Hamburg lost for the third time in five Bundesliga outings.
Champions Bayern Munich maintained their unbeaten league record this term against Hertha Berlin - Arjen Robben scoring the decisive goal in the capital - while Werder Bremen ran out 4-0 winners against Paderborn.
Zlatko Junuzovic, Davie Selke, Fin Bartels and Levent Aycicek were all on target for Viktor Skripnik's men while Hoffenheim and Hannover played out a seven-goal thriller in the day's final game.
Despite letting a 2-0 lead slip, Hoffenheim recovered to eventually win through 4-3 and end a run of three consecutive Bundesliga games without a win.
Klopp frustrated by Dortmund´s ´cabinet of curiosities´
1 December 2014
Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp believes consistency will help end his side's dismal run of form in the Bundesliga.
Dortmund missed the chance to move off the bottom of the German top flight on Sunday, having slipped to 18th courtesy of Stuttgart's win earlier in the weekend, as they lost 2-0 at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Defensive errors ultimately cost Klopp's men at the Commerzbank-Arena, with the club now bottom of the Bundesliga at this stage for the first time since the 1985-86 campaign.
While Klopp was left to rue the basic errors that led to Frankfurt's goals, he also felt a consistent approach will turn results around for last season's Bundesliga runners-up.
"Once again, we conceded this goal in an unusual way. It fits into our cabinet of curiosities," Klopp explained.
"It didn't really matter whether we lose 1-0 or 2-0 as we didn't score anyway.
"It doesn't matter how good you can play if you make the kind of errors we did. We played well, but not well enough.
"And I can't really say we set the world alight with our performance and were just unlucky.
"We will continue nevertheless and have to break through this situation. Ultimately it's about being more consistent in some areas to steer the game in the right direction."
Dortmund can move off the bottom, albeit potentially temporarily, against Hoffenheim at Signal Iduna Park on Friday.
Klopp feels he and his side need to earn back the trust of their fans, with some sections of the away support making their displeasure heard in Frankfurt.
"The fans supported us throughout the game. We are giving them a hard time at the moment," he added.
"They didn't celebrate us but we have given them few reasons to do so in the last couple of weeks.
"We know that we must work hard now to earn their trust back."
Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is eager to keep coach Pep Guardiola at the club but is in no rush to extend his contract.
Guardiola took over at the Allianz Arena in June of last year and has enjoyed great success with the Bavarians, leading them to the Bundesliga title, the DFB-Pokal and FIFA Club World Cup in his first season in charge.
A failure to retain the UEFA Champions League crown won by predecessor Jupp Heynckes led to some criticism of the former Barcelona boss but, with Bayern seemingly cantering to another German top-flight success and already through to the knock-out stages of Europe's premier club competition, Rummenigge wants Guardiola to stay for the long term.
"He's the best coach Bayern Munich could have had," Rummenigge said. "He's also a wonderful person and it's a great pleasure to work with him.
"I hope he stays a long time with us. I know him and I know he is not the sort of person who likes to renew his contract early or places much value in a long-term contract.
"I would only get on his nerves if I were to ask him now. I know when I need to seek talks and that's not going to happen in the very near future because he doesn't want that. We still have time to discuss the issue."
Bayern have 33 points from their first 13 Bundesliga games following a 1-0 win at Hertha Berlin on Saturday.
The 47-year-old is under intense pressure with his Dortmund side currently rock bottom of the Bundesliga, but he retains the utmost faith in his ability
Jurgen Klopp sees no reason for him to stand down as Borussia Dortmund boss, claiming that he is a better coach now than he was in 2012.
The 47-year-old has long been regarded as one of the game's most innovative and charismatic tacticians, having completely transformed the fortunes of BVB since taking charge in 2008.
Despite operating on a far smaller budget than many of Europe's elite, Klopp led Dortmund to back-to-back Bundesliga titles, in 2011 and 2012, as well as the final of the 2013 Champions League.
However, he is now under intense pressure, with the Signal Iduna Park side currently rock bottom of the German top flight.
Klopp, though, says he has no intention of resigning, insisting that he retains the utmost faith in his ability.
"I'm not one for quitting. I am all or nothing," the former Mainz man stated. "As long Dortmund wants that, I will continue in that way.
"I am a fighter and I'm a better coach than 2012, although you cannot see that in the table."
Dortmund's fans turned on their team after last weekend's dismal 2-0 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt and Klopp says he can understand their frustration.
However, he intimated that it would be in the supporters' best interests to try to get behind their struggling players.
"I totally understand the criticism," he insisted. "That is human. The whistles I understand. They are completely normal.
"However, anyone who whistles has to question whether it helps.
"Nevertheless, the situation does not feel catastrophic to me."
Klopp then joked that there is only one way for any supporter to avoid having to watch their team going through tough times.
"If you want to succeed, a person has only one option: to be Bayern fan," he exclaimed.
Muller: Borussia Dortmund must show the balls to avoid relegation
By Peter McVitie
Dec 3, 2014 01:20:00
Last season's Bundesliga runners-up are sitting bottom of the table after 13 games and the Bayern Munich striker says he hopes his side's rivals can get out of their poor position
Bayern Munich striker Thomas Muller has said he is surprised by the domestic crisis currently facing Borussia Dortmund and feels they must show "balls" to escape it.
While Jurgen Klopp's men have won four of their five Champions League matches so far this term and have already booked their place in the second round, they currently lie bottom of the Bundesliga, having picked up just 11 points from 13 games.
Muller admitted that he did not expect to see last season's runners-up struggle so much and said he hopes they can start climbing back up the table.
"It takes balls," he told Sky Sport. "No one expected this. If you look at the situation from the outside, you're speechless.
"At the beginning you saw them struggle but were still positive, but now you hope for them to pick up each point.
"For German football that is also very important. As you can see, anything is possible in football.
"In the Champions League, BVB are doing great, but in the league they are at the bottom. Crazy - but it's not our problem."
The former Spain international has hailed the German for his outstanding World Cup but admitted that he is just as big an admirer of the Belgium shot-stopper
Santiago Canizares says Manuel Neuer and Thibaut Courtis are the two best goalkeepers in the world by some distance and feels that the pair are at the same level.
Neuer is regarded by many pundits as the No.1 shot-stopper on the planet and has been rewarded for his sensational performances for Bayern Munich and Germany this year by being short-listed for the Ballon d'Or alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Canizares has the utmost respect for the 28-year-old but he has just as much admiration for Chelsea ace Thibaut Courtois, who has displaced Petr Cech as Jose Mourinho's first-choice goalkeeper at Stamford Bridge following three successful seasons in La Liga with Atletico Madrid.
"Neuer is absolutely world class; without a doubt" the Spaniard told the Bundesliga's official website.
"But I would classify Thibaut Courtois from Chelsea as roughly equal [to Neuer].
"For me, they are by far the two best goalkeepers [in the world]."
Canizares revealed that he has been following Neuer's career for some time now and feels that the Gelsenkirchen native has improved dramatically since leaving hometown club Schalke for Bayern in 2011.
"Manuel is a giant of a goalkeeper," he said. "He has grown incredibly in the last few years.
"I have a feeling that he has gained a lot of self-confidence since joining Bayern from Schalke.
"He has clearly worked a lot on the mental side of things. Assertiveness is the most important thing for a goalkeeper and you can see that with him. At the World Cup he was outstanding.
"His impressive physique is also noteworthy but, primarily, what sticks out is his great personality, as we have seen in the past with Germany's other great goalkeepers, like Oliver Kahn and Sepp Maier.
"As a goalkeeper, he is strong in virtually every department. But these things are complemented by his great personality.
"When I look at him now, he's very impressive and if I compare the Neuer of Schalke to the Neuer of Bayern, then I'd say he has improved 100 per cent."
The Catalan has revealed that he is a huge admirer of Rodger Schmidt's side and is particularly concerned by their dead-ball specialist, Hakan Calhanoglu
Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola has talked up the threat posed by Bayer Leverkusen to his side's unbeaten Bundesliga record ahead of Saturday's showdown at the Allianz Arena.
The Bavarians have won 10 of their 13 games to date and sit seven points clear of second-placed Wolfsburg, with Leverkusen three points further back in third.
However, Guardiola has the utmost respect for Roger Schmidt's side and is expecting a fearsome contest.
"I am big, big fan of this team, their coach and their style of play," the Catalan told reporters at his pre-game media conference on Friday.
"They have done very well so far with their great ability to press and I'm sure that they will come here to play. We will have little time to think on the ball.
"This game is very important for us in terms of the Bundesliga.
"If both sides play attacking football then it will be a very good game - and we want that!"
Guardiola is not only warning his side against complacency, but also against the danger of giving away silly free kicks within the range of Bayer's dead-ball specialist Hakan Calhanoglu.
"He has enormous quality," the former Barcelona boss said. "He is one of the best free-kick takers in the Bundesliga, which is why we have to keep the game away from our box.
"This is going to be a top, top game and we will need to be at our best."
Guardiola also confirmed that he has no fresh injury concerns ahead of the game, which is scheduled to kick off at 18:30CET.
