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On 25 April, Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer kept Real Madrid at bay almost single-handedly in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. Commanding his line much like a handball goalkeeper, Neuer repelled efforts from Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká and Sergio Ramos to make sure that the Bavarians qualified at the expense of Real. In the final, he saved Juan Mata’s penalty before calmly stepping up to convert one himself, although it was ultimately in vain as Chelsea came out on top. With Germany, he was powerless to prevent Balotelli’s two goals in Italy’s 2-1 victory in the semi-finals of EURO 2012.