Two of the men vying for the crown of the world's No.1 meet at the Allianz Arena tonight. Former Bayern and Madrid goalkeepers Sepp Maier and Paco Buyo help rate who is betterAs if the prospect of a Champions League semi-final between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid wasn’t enough, the two clashes over the next eight days will also see perhaps the two greatest goalkeepers in the world come up against each other.Manuel Neuer, the No.1 of Die Roten, and Madrid skipper Iker Casillas are always in the mix where debates over football’s leading shot-stoppers are concerned, and rightly so. While Casillas has been key in two Champions League triumphs and four La Liga crowns, he was also handed the World Cup in 2010 and European Championship in 2008 as captain of Spain. Neuer, meanwhile, may not have received truly notable silverware so far, but he is tipped for big things as his talent and reputation continue to grow.
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The pair have not been adversaries since the 2010 World Cup semi-final, which saw Carles Puyol’s header beyond Neuer send Spain to the Johannesburg showpiece at Germany’s expense, so Tuesday night’s first leg will be a fascinating opportunity for the football world to see how the duo compare two years on.
With more than just team success to be judged when looking at a goalkeeper, Goal.com decided to put the relative qualities of the two glovesmen under the microscope, with a helping hand from Bayern and Germany legend Sepp Maier, and ex-Madrid and Spain keeper Paco Buyo.
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