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Xabi Alonso backs Manuel Neuer for Ballon d'Or

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer deserves to win the Ballon d'Or, according to his teammate Xabi Alonso.

Xabi Alonso has insisted that "it would be fair" if his Bayern Munich teammate Manuel Neuer won the Ballon d'Or award this year.

No goalkeeper has claimed the accolade since Lev Yashin back in 1963.

However, having spent time playing alongside Neuer this season following his summer arrival from Real Madrid, Alonso believes that the German international would be a deserving recipient.

"He is by far the best goalkeeper that I have ever played with. He is also a big player in the field. It would be fair if he won the Ballon d'Or this year, no doubt. I knew that Neuer was a top player but when I arrived at Bayern he surprised me even more," he told Bild.

Madrid attacker Cristiano Ronaldo is the current favourite with the bookmakers to win the award for the second year running.

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Roma's Greece defender Kostas Manolas, Roma's French defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and Bayern Munich's Polish striker Robert Lewandowski vie for the ball during the UEFA Champions League Group E second-leg football match FC Bayern Munich vs AS Roma in Munich
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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Bayern MunichBayern13103041103133
2Eintracht FrankfurtFrankfurt1383233181527
3Bayer LeverkusenB. Leverkusen1375130201026
4RB Leipzig137332114724
5Freiburg147342019124
6Wolfsburg146353125621
7Borussia DortmundDortmund136342420421
8Stuttgart135532623320
9Mainz 05Mainz135442318519
10Werder Bremen135442024-419
11Borussia MonchengladbachBorussia M'bach135351918118
12Union BerlinUnion Berlin134451214-216
13Augsburg134451625-916
14Hoffenheim133461825-713
15St Pauli133281117-611
16Heidenheim133191728-1110
17Holstein Kiel1312101333-205
18VfL BochumVfL Bochum1302111034-242


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