Neuer Error Hands Augsburg Record-Breaking Goal in Bayern Draw
Bayern Munich were left to settle for a draw with Augsburg after Robin Fellhauer punished Manuel Neuer’s error within seconds of the opening kick-off, a goal that set a new Bundesliga record and denied the champions a return to top spot.
Match facts
| Item | Figure | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Fellhauer goal | Just over 8 seconds | Fastest goal in Bundesliga history |
| Previous record | 9 seconds | Previously shared by Kevin Volland and Karim Bellarabi |
| Bayern league position | Second, 11 points | Two points behind Borussia Dortmund |
| Neuer at Bayern | 604 appearances | 272 clean sheets in all competitions |
Luis Díaz took the kick-off before Bayern worked possession back towards Neuer. The goalkeeper failed to bring the return pass under control and, attempting to recover the situation, took another risk. Fellhauer reacted quickest, collected the loose ball and finished after choosing placement over an immediate shot.
The Augsburg midfielder said he believed he could have struck sooner, but felt an earlier effort carried too much danger of going wide. His composed finish took the record from Volland and Bellarabi, whose nine-second strikes had jointly stood as the Bundesliga benchmark.
Bayern sporting director Max Eberl accepted that Neuer had made a rare and costly mistake, saying the goalkeeper’s first touch had put him in difficulty before his attempted recovery made matters worse. Eberl nevertheless rejected any suggestion that Neuer alone was responsible for the dropped points.
He stressed that Bayern had created sufficient opportunities to win the match and said the side had collectively made the contest harder through a sequence of errors. For Eberl, the failure to convert those chances was as significant as the opening-minute concession.
The incident was especially unusual given Neuer’s long record at Bayern. The 40-year-old joined from Schalke in 2011 and has won 13 Bundesliga titles, six DFB-Pokals, two Champions Leagues and two Club World Cups with the club. Across 604 appearances, he has recorded 272 shutouts.
Eberl said mistakes of that scale are seldom associated with Neuer, whose career has included more than 800 competitive matches. Bayern’s draw was therefore a missed chance in the title race: Borussia Dortmund had drawn with Werder Bremen the previous day, but Bayern could not take advantage and remain two points behind the leaders.
