Neuer and Muller make Champions League history in Zagreb thrashing

Bayern Munich's glory in recent years cannot be understood without their great stars. Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller are part of the Bavarian club's history. They are also part of the Champions League according to the ranking of matches played and the BeSoccer Pro data universe.

After the Bundesliga side's debut in the new format against Dinamo Zagreb, both players change the order of the list. Starting with the German goalkeeper, who equalled Ryan Giggs with 141 matches. Just one behind the 142 appearances of Sergio Ramos and Raul Gonzalez.

At the age of 38, Manuel Neuer is in the final stages of his career. Recently retired from the German national team and with a contract at the Allianz Arena until 30th June 2025. It is only a matter of time before the No 1 makes the same decision at the club that changed his life, but he will want to say goodbye in style.

However, the highlight is Thomas Muller. The Bayern Munich icon leaves the 151 appearances of Xavi Hernandez and Toni Kroos by the wayside to move into fourth place in the ranking with the same number as Karim Benzema: 152.

To put this into context, Cristiano Ronaldo is the player with the most appearances in the history of the Champions League: 183. He is followed by Iker Casillas with 177 and Leo Messi closes this particular podium with 163 appearances.

Thomas Muller is in the same situation as Manuel Neuer: his contract expires at the end of the season. They already know what it means to win the Champions League with Bayern Munich on two occasions -2013 and 2020-, but they are dreaming of winning a third and improving their stats in the top continental competition.