Luis Diaz's teammate snaps at reporter as former Liverpool man delivers again

Manuel Neuer was named player of the match after making brilliant saves in Bayern Munich's 2-1 Champions League quarterfinal win over Real Madrid, but he snapped when asked about Germany's World Cup return

Luis Diaz impressed for Bayern Munich on Tuesday(Image: Getty Images)

Manuel Neuer bristled at reporters' questions following his exceptional display that helped Bayern Munich overcome Real Madrid.

Bayern secured a 2-1 victory during the first leg of its Champions League quarterfinal at the Bernabeu on Tuesday, with the team's goalkeeper proving instrumental. Luis Diaz, the former Liverpool winger, also played a vital role in the win and earned praise from Steven Gerrard at full-time.

Strikes from Diaz and Harry Kane put Bayern 2-0 ahead within moments of the second half's restart, though the team's advantage remained precarious. Neuer produced a series of remarkable saves to deny Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior.

Trent Alexander-Arnold's delivery was finished by Mbappe at the far post to reduce the deficit to 2-1, yet Real couldn't breach Neuer's goal again.

Vinicius squandered a one-on-one opportunity following a Dayot Upamecano error, as Bayern departed the Spanish capital holding a slender lead ahead of next week's return fixture.

Neuer earned the player of the match accolade for his outstanding showing, but appeared unwilling to entertain subjects unrelated to the tie itself. "Shall we bring this up now?" he responded when questioned about featuring at this summer's World Cup for Germany.

Manuel Neuer has retired from international duty(Image: Getty Images)

The 40-year-old hasn't represented Germany since the Euro 2024 semifinals and confirmed his international retirement that summer. Despite earning 124 caps for his nation, he has repeatedly insisted he won't reverse his retirement decision for the World Cup.

"As I said, we're not going to get into that here now," he stated firmly at the Bernabeu. "Where did we play today? That was a sensational performance; we're not talking about the national team here. I've said my piece, and I'm focusing on FC Bayern.

"It's important to confirm that in the second leg. Nothing else matters to me."

However, Neuer's message evidently didn't reach his colleagues, as Germany international Aleksandar Pavlovic offered a contrasting view when questioned about Neuer's potential comeback: "Yes, absolutely. I never say no to Manu."

Hoffenheim's Oliver Baumann currently occupies the No. 1 spot under Julian Nagelsmann, with Alexander Nubel, on loan from Bayern to Stuttgart, serving as deputy.

Regardless of World Cup participation, Bayern manager Vincent Kompany is well aware of Neuer's caliber. When asked during his post-match press conference whether Neuer was the greatest goalkeeper ever, he chuckled.

"You are going to get me in trouble with guys like Thibaut Courtois, whom I like very much as well," he said. "Look, everybody can have their own choice, but Neuer is one of the very few.

"He has been doing this at this level for a very long time. Not many goalkeepers are able to perform like this at this age."