The football world and the legions of devoted fans of the beautiful game are gearing up for the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League final between Juventus and Barcelona, which will take place this Saturday on June 6.
Fans eagerly await the game which will see the two European giants lock horns, with the chance of winning the treble, with some of the world’s finest attackers and defenders set to take centre stage at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
However, one should not easily let the fact that two world-class goalkeepers will step onto the grass in the final pass by unnoticed. They are Gianluigi Buffon and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.
One a veteran of the game, one of the best to have graced the sport, the other a star with a bright future ahead of him, having made a name for himself in the Bundesliga, both teams can head into the final knowing their goals are in safe hands.
Buffon on Ter Stegen
Buffon: “Ter Stegen is an important goalkeeper. He has lots of quality and a great personality. He deserves to play for Barça.”
— FC Barcelona Fl (@FCBarcelonaFl) June 1, 2015
But between the legendary Italian and the 23-year-old German, who has enjoyed the better season in between the sticks? This is no clear winner in this debate, though a look at their stats this campaign should paint a more accurate picture.
An analysis of their numbers in the domestic league will be an unfair comparison as Ter Stegen made no appearances in La Liga, whilst Buffon racked up 33 outings and 18 clean sheets. The Blaugrana ace did, however, make 7 appearances in the Copa del Rey, guiding them to the title, as did the Bianconeri idol did with his side in the Coppa Italia.
In the Champions League is where everything becomes interesting. Both goalkeepers were ever-present in the starting XI en route to the final, playing 1080 minutes of football each. Whilst Buffon conceded 7 goals (0.58 per game) in Europe, Ter Stegen let in 10 (0.83 per game).
Nonetheless, one may argue that even though the Serie A giants face Real Madrid in the semis, they also faced Monaco and Borussia Dortmund in the knockout stage. The Blaugrana, on the other hand, had to face Manchester City, PSG, and Bayern Munich, some of Europe’s strongest teams.
The Blaugrana custodian has conceded 10 goals in the UCL, 3 more than Buffon, but has faced Man City, PSG, and Bayern
Throughout the whole stage of the tournament, both men managed 6 clean sheets though. Buffon has record 23 saves (1.92 per game), whilst his Barcelona counterpart has made 18 (1.50 per game).
The Azzuri goalkeeper also boasts a far better save-per-goal ratio, at 3.29. Die Mannschaft ace Ter Stegen boasts a 2 save-per-goal tally. The 37-year-old custodian also bosses the 23-year-old in the punches and catches department as well, at 7 (0.58 per game) and 30 (2.5 per game) to Ter Stegen’s 3 (0.25 per game) and 21 (1.75 per game).
Buffon has years of experience over the former Borussia Monchengladbach star under his belt, and is thus the more likely winner in this head-to-head battle. However, the difficulty of the task at hand does not solely depend on the goalkeeper’s talent, but also the quality of the opposing team, and their attack, to be specific.
The Juventus captain will be tasked with protecting the goal from Lionel Messi, a man who has scored 20 times in 23 finals, and the Catalan giants’ MSN attacking trio, who have bagged 120 goals this season, 25 in the Champions League.
The Juve goalkeeper is fully aware of the threat Messi poses
Buffon: "Messi is an alien who plays with humans. The only hope is that this Saturday he will be from earth." pic.twitter.com/7qcFQrTIp9
— Leo Messi (@messi10stats) June 1, 2015
Let's not forget about MSN, of course
THIS IS MSN: http://bit.ly/1SJabEnThe Barca trio (120) surpassed CR7-Benzema-Higuain (118) as the highest scoring trio in a Spanish football season.
Posted by LiveSoccerTV.com on Sunday, May 31, 2015
Regardless, the outcome of Saturday’s game is unpredictable. One thing is surely expected, though. Both goalkeepers will leave everything they’ve got on the pitch in order the bring back home the trophy and win the treble for their team.
*Stats via Squawka, Whoscored, and Barcelona.com
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