Ter Stegen vs Courtois - Comparing Barça and Real Madrid goalkeepers ahead of El Clásico

October 27, 2018 By Oscar Rojas

Topics: La Liga, Barcelona, Real Madrid, El Clásico, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Thibaut Courtois

Both of these goalkeepers are among the elite in the world. Let's see how their La Liga stats compare to determine who will have a bigger hand in Sunday's clash.

Sunday's Clásico will bring some interesting matchups, but none as interesting as the one between Marc-André Ter Stegen and Thibaut Courtois.

Four months ago, these players lived a different reality than the one they are experiencing right now. In the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the in-form Ter Stegen was relegated to the German National Team's bench in favor of Manuel Neuer. The end result saw Germany leaving the competition after three games for the first time in 70 years. On the other hand, Thibaut Courtois played a key role in Belgium's third-place finish, their best performance in this competition, which helped Courtois land a massive deal with Real Madrid.

Today, things have changed radically for both shot-stoppers. The German goalie has played a fundamental role for Barcelona, with key saves in both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League. On the opposite side, Courtois has only enjoyed playing time in La Liga, as coach Julen Lopetegui has ruled that Keylor Navas will be the man defending the sticks for Los Blancos in UCL matches.

Ter Stegen has earned praise for his crucial saves, including an impressive back-to-back effort against Sevilla last week, which could have seen the game tied with over 30 minutes left to play. Earlier that day, the Belgian shot-stopper was not able to help Los Blancos in their effort to beat Levante. Even if he hasn't had a key role in Real Madrid's woes, some fans have started to question if he is indeed the right man for the job, with the under-appreciated Navas waiting for his chance on the bench in La Liga games.

Here's a statistical analysis of how each player has performed in La Liga matches this season.

Both players have put their skills to good use in the past. Don't miss their particular battle on Sunday, as fans from 181 countries will have a chance to watch El Clásico. Click below for full TV and streaming options.