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EspañolNeuer wants to retire at Bayern Munich, timing still open
Out of contract at Bayern Munich at the end of the season, Manuel Neuer’s future remains uncertain.
According to Kicker, the goalkeeper has decided that Bayern will be his final club, but a decision has yet to be made on whether he will retire this summer or at a later date.
Bayern are open to extending the 39-year-old’s contract by another year, with Neuer expected to base his choice on his physical condition. A decision is likely to be made around his 40th birthday on March 27.
If Neuer signs a new deal, he would agree to give Jonas Urbig more playing time, allowing the 22-year-old to gradually step into the role as his successor.
Neither Alexander Nübel, currently on loan at Stuttgart, nor Daniel Peretz, on loan at Southampton, are understood to be part of Bayern’s long-term plans, with the club reportedly looking to sell both goalkeepers this summer.
Neuer has missed Bayern’s last couple of games with a muscle injury and is pushing to be fit for Saturday’s Bundesliga clash against Borussia Dortmund.
Froggatt Backs Two Strikers for Villa
Former Aston Villa player Steve Froggatt has backed using two strikers as a short-term solution amid injuries to key midfielders. Fans have expressed mixed opinions on whether manager Unai Emery should deploy Ollie Watkins and Tammy Abraham together up front.
Many supporters believe the formation could help compensate for the absence of Tielemans, McGinn and Kamara, with some suggesting Abraham should start over Watkins due to his clinical finishing. Others argue Emery needs time to determine the best formation given the current squad limitations.
Lewis leads Brown against Columbia after 21-point game
Brown Bears (9-15, 3-8 Ivy League) at Columbia Lions (15-10, 4-7 Ivy League)
New York; Friday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Brown takes on Columbia after Landon Lewis scored 21 points in Brown's 80-71 victory against the Princeton Tigers.
The Lions have gone 8-4 at home. Columbia has a 1-1 record in one-possession games.
The Bears have gone 3-8 against Ivy League opponents. Brown has a 1-1 record in games decided by less than 4 points.
Columbia makes 48.2% of its shots from the field this season, which is 5.5 percentage points higher than Brown has allowed to its opponents (42.7%). Brown has shot at a 44.3% clip from the field this season, 1.5 percentage points higher than the 42.8% shooting opponents of Columbia have averaged.
The teams square off for the second time this season in Ivy League play. Brown won the last meeting 86-80 on Jan. 17. Lewis scored 26 points to help lead the Bears to the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Kenny Noland is shooting 38.9% from beyond the arc with 2.6 made 3-pointers per game for the Lions, while averaging 16.8 points and 3.4 assists. Blair Thompson is averaging 10.6 points over the last 10 games.
Lewis is averaging 16.7 points and 6.8 rebounds for the Bears. Jeremiah Jenkins is averaging 9.7 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Lions: 3-7, averaging 69.9 points, 30.3 rebounds, 13.3 assists, 4.6 steals and 2.8 blocks per game while shooting 45.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 76.5 points per game.
Bears: 3-7, averaging 68.9 points, 29.2 rebounds, 15.3 assists, 7.6 steals and 3.0 blocks per game while shooting 45.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 74.3 points.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.