Ter Stegen, one goal away from losing LaLiga record
Barcelona’s keeper must keep a clean sheet in the next two games or he will lose the opportunity to improve the historic averages set by Oblak and Liaño (0.473 goals per game).
The pressure was off at Barça as soon as they were proclaimed LaLiga champions but the lack of tension has had a negative effect on Ter Stegen’s personal figures. A few weeks ago, the keeper was on course to set a new Spanish and European record for conceding the least goals in one season. But after letting in six goals in the last three games (two against Espanyol, two against Real Sociedad and another two against Valladolid before being replaced by Iñaki Peña) that record could very easily slip away from him.
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To set a new record, which is currently shared by Jan Oblak and Paco Liaño, Ter Stegen cannot concede a single goal in either of the two remaining matches. If the German keeps a clean sheet against Mallorca on Sunday, he will have conceded 17 goals in 36 games, an average of 0.472 - a slight improvement on the feats of Oblak and Liaño, who had a coefficient of 0.473 (Deportivo and Atlético share the record for the fewest goals conceded in a season of 38 games which stands at 18: Liaño in 1993/4 and Oblak, 2015/16 respectively).
It is looking highly likely that the German keeper will be rested for the final game of the season against Celta in Vigo to ensure that he maintains the club record - improving on the averages set by Víctor Valdés (0.50) and Bravo (0.51), and claiming the Zamora trophy with the best figures in recent years.
Zamora trophy winners by club
- 20 Barcelona
- 18 Real Madrid
- 14 Atlético
- 9 Valencia
- 7 Deportivo
Mix-up at the Zorilla
Ter Stegen and Xavi got into trouble during Tuesday’s game in Valladolid which Barcelona lost 3-1. The coach hastily decided to replace the German goalkeeper after at half-time by which time he had already conceded two goals. In doing so, Xavi may have thought he was protecting Ter Stegen and his record. However, sports newspaper Marca, who is responsible for organising the Zamora trophy, makes it clear that, if a goalkeeper plays only 45 minutes, the game does not count but the goals that he concedes do which means that Ter Stegen has conceded a total of 17 goals in 35 games this season (averaging 0.485 goals per game) and therefore must keep a clean sheet against Mallorca.