Jan Oblak’s performance at Anfield was one that even fans of football who don’t support Atletico Madrid will remember.
He kept Liverpool out 11 times, won man of the match and was the most important player for Diego Simeone’s side yet again.
The
Slovenian has become one of the best goalkeepers in the world under the
Argentinian, which is an opinion supported by a considerable amount of
evidence.
Since his LaLiga Santander debut – in which he kept a clean sheet – back in 2015, he’s played 180 times in the competition.
In those he’s conceded 155 goals, boasting an average of 0.63 per game.
From
that same starting point until February, OPTA have him as the
goalkeeper in Europe’s top five leagues with the best saves to shots
faced percentage, denying 79.55 percent of efforts on his goal.
Oblak
is just as impressive in Europe as well. In December OPTA placed him
second in their rank of goalkeepers with more than 20 games played over
the last decade.
His saves to shots faced ratio sits at 78.5
percent, bettered only slightly by Petr Cech’s impressive 78.7 percent,
meaning the Slovenian has the best percentage of any active goalkeeper.
Atletico’s
defensive solidity has helped Oblak to win four consecutive Zamora
awards, but this season he’s facing stiff competition from Thibaut
Courtois for the prize.
Against Villarreal in December he
achieved a record breaking 96th clean sheet for Atletico, overtaking
Abel Resino’s tally of 95.
Now he sits on 99, waiting to hit his century when football returns.
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