Urbig under the spotlight | OneFootball

Jonas Urbig: Under the spotlight at Bayern Munich

Not long after his arrival from Bundesliga 2 side Cologne, Jonas Urbig was starting for Bayern Munich in both the Bundesliga and Champions League, a position even he wouldn't have expected to be in so soon when he walked through the doors at Säbener Straße.

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Having joined Bayern Munich from Cologne at the end of the January transfer window, Jonas Urbig could have been forgiven for thinking he would have plenty of time to settle in before the opportunity of a first-team appearance arose.

With Bayern out of the DFB Cup following a 1-0 loss to league rivals Bayer Leverkusen, it seemed as if there would be limited opportunities for the youngster, especially with his side looking to maintain their position at the top of the table and making it into the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League. With club captain Manuel Neuer between the sticks - someone with the reputation as one of the best, if not the best, goalkeepers in the world over the last decade or so - opportunities for game time usually only come at the expense of an injury to Neuer, as Sven Ulreich will likely tell you.

Playing from the start in a Champions League knockout tie for the first time, Jonas Urbig dealt with the challenge brilliantly. (IMAGO/Bayer 04 Leverkusen v FC Bayern München)

This was exactly the case for Urbig, who was thrust into the limelight half an hour into the first leg of Bayern’s Champions League round of 16 tie against Leverkusen. He looked assured despite the circumstances, and maintained a clean sheet as Vincent Kompany’s men stormed to an eye-catching 3-0 win.

For the second leg, however, Urbig would be in from the start, with Bayern preparing for a Leverkusen onslaught as they attempted to make up the three-goal deficit and advance into the quarter-finals themselves. Once again though, Urbig and Bayern produced a big performance, running out 2-0 winners, which made it 5-0 on aggregate. While there was plenty to praise from that performance, Urbig once again stood out; he faced 30 crosses and 14 corners that night, keeping towering figures such as Jonathan Tah and the in-form Patrik Schick at bay in an exceptional away performance.

It has not all been plain sailing for the Cologne academy graduate, however. Either side of his heroics in the Champions League came a 3-2 loss against Bochum and a 1-1 draw against Union Berlin, where his error from a Josip Juranović cross allowed Benedict Hollerbach to equalise late on for Union. A makeshift starting lineup and a Bochum side looking to pull off a great escape provided the ingredients for their loss at the Ruhrstadion, one which Urbig had put behind him by the time of the Leverkusen tie three days later. The draw to Union was, naturally, more of a talking point; there, Urbig’s inexperience showed, and provided a reminder that there will be growing pains as he develops into the role of Neuer’s understudy.

In his time in the Bundesliga 2 with Greuther Fürth, Jahn Regensburg and Cologne, Urbig proved that he is more than capable of dealing with crosses and fending for himself in a crowded penalty area, meaning his mistake was likely nothing more than a one-off. Unfortunately, it will feel like much more than that to himself and the Bayern faithful given the extraordinary standards that Neuer has set over almost 15 years as no.1 at the Allianz Arena.

Nevertheless, Urbig’s performances early on into his Bayern career have rightfully drawn praise, most notably from his boss, Kompany: “We’re happy that we’ve got someone with so much talent that can replace Manu”. At just 21-years-old, he has dealt well with the pressure of holding the No.1 spot, and appears to be more than capable of holding the fort until Neuer’s return.

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