Bayer Leverkusen star Hakan Çalhanoğlu stole the headlines following the 2-0 win over Bayern Munich at the BayArena with another sublime free-kick goal.
The 21-year-old admitted that he had always wanted to score a free-kick past Bayer goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
“I’ve always really wanted to score a free-kick past Manuel Neuer,” Çalhanoğlu told the official Bundesliga website.
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Çalhanoğlu admitted he was proud to have scored past one of the best goalkeepers and teams in the world.
“If you can put one past the best goalkeeper there is then it makes it all the sweeter It’s important for me because it gives me the belief that I have a chance of scoring past any goalkeeper, so it’s extra special for me,” he added.
The Turkish international also revealed why he ran over to the team doctor after scoring the goal.
“I was only focusing on the ball and I didn’t see a gap appear in the wall. The important thing for me was to strike the ball well. I celebrated with the team doctor because he believed in me and told me I’d score a free-kick today.” Çalhanoğlu said.
The 21-year-old has now scored more than twice as many Bundesliga goals from direct free-kicks (9) than any other player since August 2013.
The young attacking midfielder now has a total of five goals from direct set-pieces this season.
Pep Guardiola recently revealed that he is also a fan of the Turkish international, “Çalhanoğlu is one of the best free-kick takers in the Bundesliga.”
Çalhanoğlu now has 10 assists and 12 goals in all competitions this season.
