Bayern Munich’s honorary club president Franz Beckenbauer has likened Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon to “a pensioner” after the Italian’s poor showing in the sides’ Champions League clash on Tuesday night.

Question marks were raised over Buffon’s positioning and handling after the 35-year-old was beaten by David Alaba’s speculative 30-yard effort inside the opening 24 seconds and then spilled a shot which allowed Thomas Muller to turn in.

Buffon was hopelessly wrongfooted on by Alaba and, after he failed to deal with Luis Gustavo’s shot in the 63rd minute, Muller stole in to complete a 2-0 first-leg victory for the Germans in their quarter-final tie.

Buffon is renowned as one of the world’s best keepers having guided Juventus to the Serie A title last season and Italy to World Cup glory in 2006, but Beckenbauer feels he is starting to show his age.

He told the Gazzetta dello Sport: “Alaba shot from 120 metres out and made Buffon look like a pensioner. There’s no need for him to get upset but he should be catching that shot. “Maybe he didn’t think that Alaba would kick it from there.”

Former Germany defender Beckenbauer, 67, also praised Bayern manager Jupp Heynckes for devising a gameplan to successfully stop Juve’s key man Andrea Pirlo and build an advantage over Juve ahead of next week’s trip to Turin. 

“We prepared well for the game,” he added. “We managed to stop them playing fluid football from the beginning, while nullifying (midfielder Andrea) Pirlo.

“We can be satisfied with the result especially considering the fact we didn’t concede. It’s never easy to beat an Italian side who play that way. We were always in control of the match against the champions of Italy.”

 

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