'I made a mistake' - Manuel Neuer accepts blame for howler as Bayern Munich see perfect record end at Union Berlin

Midway through the second half, Union’s Danilho Doekhi met a corner with a low, scuffed shot through a crowd of players. The effort had little venom, but Neuer's hands betrayed him as the ball slid underneath his body and trickled into the net. It was an uncharacteristic error from the World Cup winner that left Neuer staring at the turf in despair. However, the keeper was the first to hold his hands up after the match.

He said, "I made the wrong decision in the first goal, we lost the second ball in the second goal. It was tough today against this team, especially after Wednesday. But we believe we'll soon get back to winning ways. In the end I think it was a good point. We got a point and the competition didn't - and we're now six points clear. We struggled in defending set pieces today, and Union did well in that aspect."

Bayern manager Vincent Kompany refused to single out his captain and instead kept his back when he was asked about the blunder from Neuer.

"What do you expect me to say? That I'll say something about my #1 goalkeeper? Of course not," he said. "It's a collective game. When you concede a goal, there are many things and sequences that happen before. We look at those moments too."

For Berlin, this was a night of organisation and belief. They absorbed Bayern’s early pressure, waited patiently for the counters, and struck when opportunities appeared. Luis Díaz produced a sensational goal to level the scores after Doekhi's opener. The Colombian slid in to keep the ball in play, beat a defender while still on the ground, and then lashed home from a very acute angle. Then came Doekhi’s second, which was a poacher’s finish that sent Berlin ahead in the 83rd minute. The Dutch defender had the chance to be the unlikeliest of heroes with a brace against the reigning champions, but Harry Kane had other ideas. 

Kane’s unrelenting hunger for goals once again saved the day for Bayern. The England captain emerged as the saviour deep into stoppage time as he nodded home Oliver Bischof's cross, past Frederik Ronnow, to salvage a 2–2 draw. It was Kane’s 13th goal in nine Bundesliga matches, and the relief was palpable as he brought back Bayern from the jaws of defeat. He is once again leading the scoring charts and has six more than second-placed Frankfurt's Jonathan Burkardt. 

While expressing his thoughts on the match, Kane said: "It was a tough game. We expected a battle and a lot of long balls. Many decisions and small fouls went against us today. It wasn't our best game, but we stayed focused and managed to equalise. That's football, there are games like today where things go against you. We'll take the point."

For a man who has lifted a World Cup, a couple of Champions League trophies, and several Bundesliga titles, one fumble does not define him. He has been a pillar of strength and trust for Bayern for years and has remained solid throughout this campaign. In fact, with Marc-Andre ter Stegen struggling at Barcelona and now sidelined through injury, Germany’s goalkeeper dilemma has resurfaced, and there have been calls to bring the keeper out of retirement before the 2026 World Cup. However, Neuer, who walked away from the national team after Euro 2024, insisted that he has closed that chapter for good. 

"First of all, I wasn't asked. It was a conscious decision on my part to leave the national team and retire," Neuer said earlier in September. "So it's not even an option for me." 

After a brief pause, Neuer left the door slightly ajar and added: "I had a very successful and enjoyable time, and I'm not currently thinking at all about whether and how I could return to the national team. I have been with the team since 2009, and with the European Championship, it was a nice conclusion. I think I got a lot out of German football and maybe also gave German football a little something."