Keylor Navas under scrutiny as stats show Real keeper's slump
The Costa Rica international is playing well below the standard that kept Madrid in the title race last season, as the Real number one's figures show. Juventus-Real Madrid live
Keylor Navas was one of the Madrid players singled out after the side’s 2-1 defeat in Mestalla. Although the keeper made two good stops, above all one from Dani Parejo in the second half, the Costa Rica international is not performing miracles as he did last season. Navas’ drop in form has been evident in games against Borussia Dortmund, Legia Warsaw and Sevilla, and on Wednesday in Valencia’s second goal. The statistics show that the keeper is far from the player he was last season when he earned the side valuable points with key saves in games against Málaga (1-1), Roma (2-0) and Las Palmas (1-2).
Navas being beaten at 1.13 goals per game
So far in 2016-17, Navas has conceded more goals (26) than he has played games (23), being beaten on average at a rate of 1.13 goals per game. Last season he conceded 31 in 45 at a rate of 0.68 per match. With the clocks still yet to go forward, Navas has conceded just five fewer goals in 2016-17 than he did in the whole of last season.
Real keeper making fewer saves
Furthermore, Navas’ shots-per-goal numbers don’t hold up well compared to the previous campaign. This season opposition teams require 3.4 shots per game to beat the Real keeper, who has faced 90 shots in total, compared to five overall last season. His save rate has also slipped from 80 percent last season to 71 percent in 2016-17.
De Gea and Courtois
Navas has not provided the same level of security since returning from an Achilles tendon operation last summer and his position is under increasing threat. The names of David de Gea and Thibaut Courtois loom large over the Real keeper but Navas has the backing of Zinedine Zidane: “Keylor was also our keeper during our unbeaten run…”
The final three months of the season will determine if Navas is still Real’s number one next season.
