bundesliga

Remembering Yann Sommer's record-breaking Bundesliga performance for Borussia Mönchengladbach against Bayern Munich

18.02.2023

Yann Sommer set a Bundesliga record for most saves in a game when he repelled 19 shots to help Borussia Mönchengladbach earn a draw against Bayern Munich, who he would join later in the season, back in 2022/23.

The Swiss custodian produced a performance for the ages in August 2022, thwarting Julian Nagelsmann’s side time and again as the Foals continued their unbeaten start to the campaign, taking eight points from the first 12 on offer.

Gladbach took the lead against the run of play as the spoils were shared when Marcus Thuram broke free of the home defence to slot past Manuel Neuer, and for a long time it looked like being the winning goal as Leroy Sané, Sadio Mané, Serge Gnabry and Co. were all denied by Sommer.

Watch: Highlights of the 1-1 draw in Munich

Indeed, Bayern had 35 shots on goal throughout the 90 minutes, 20 of which were on target, with Sané’s equaliser in the 83rd minute they only attempt to evade Sommer’s clutches.

That the hosts finished the game with an expected goals (xG) metric of 3.27 further underlines the out-of-this-world nature of the then-Gladbach goalkeeper’s display, his 19 saves setting a new league-best mark as the most recorded in a single match since data collection began.

“We knew before the game that we would have a lot of work at the back with our defence, that there would be a lot of crosses, a lot of shots,” Sommer told bundesliga.com at the final whistle.

Watch: Sommer - one of the Bundesliga's best

“We knew that. So we said, ‘Ok, we’ll try to be compact, try to defend every ball.’ It’s also normal against a team like Bayern that you can’t defend everything, so then you need a goalkeeper. I’m happy that I put in a good performance for us and that we could take this point.”

Perhaps understandably Sommer was reluctant to blow his own trumpet, but teammate Joe Scally had no such reservations.

“He’s the best in the world,” the USMNT full-back told bundesliga.com. “He does this every single week. Last year in our first game against Bayern he did this as well.

“Every game we just expect it from him because we know he’s the best goalie. He gives the defence so much confidence, he gives the team confidence because we know that if something happens then he’s there to save us. He's just unbelievable.”

Watch: Scally: "Sommer is the best goalkeeper in the world"

Then-head coach Daniel Farke added his voice to the chorus of praise in his post-match press debriefing: “Yann produced a world-class performance. You need that if you want to get anything in Munich.”

Perhaps memories of that peformance were what convinced Bayern to then sign Sommer in January 2023 after Neuer broke his leg. The Switzerland international has of course since left the Bundesliga for Inter Milan after 291 appearances over nine years.