Euro 2016: Bastian Schweinsteiger knew Manuel Neuer would save Germany’s penalty duffers against Italy
BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER knew Manuel Neuer would save Germany’s penalty duffers.
Saturday’s amazing shootout against Italy saw SIX of the first ten kicks missed — three from each side.
But Manchester United star Schweinsteiger, who wasted one chance to send his side through to the semi-finals, always believed the Bayern Munich keeper would come to the rescue.
And Neuer’s save from United’s Matteo Darmian meant Jonas Hector won it 6-5 with kick No 18.
Schweinsteiger said: “I was not afraid because I had confidence in Neuer.
“Of course we’re lucky that we have the best goalkeeper in the world and you’ve seen that again.”
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Germany had not missed a shootout kick since Uli Stielike’s boob in 1982.
But that run of 22 successful strikes was emphatically ended as Schweinsteiger and Mesut Ozil missed and Gianluigi Buffon saved from Thomas Muller.
Former England skipper Gary Lineker joked: “Germany are useless at penalties these days.”
Defender Mats Hummels conceded: “We didn’t shoot like a German team. You won’t believe it, but we practised penalties in training a few times.”
Neuer also saved Leonardo Bonucci’s kick as the Germans won their sixth successive shootout. He said: “It wasn’t easy, it was a war of nerves.”
Italy’s legendary No 1 Buffon summed it up best though, saying: “I’ve never seen it before, losing after watching them miss three of the first five penalties. It’s inexplicable.”
