5 Outstanding Goalkeepers in the 2018/2019 La Liga Season
May 22, 2019
The 2018/19 La Liga season ended in enthralling fashion.
Let’s take a look at the unsung heroes of the Spanish football league, the goalkeepers. A lot of goalkeepers impressed in the 2018/2019 season, however, some were outstanding in the campaign.
Here are the 5 best goalkeepers of the last La Liga season.
1. JAN OBLAK (ATLETICO MADRID)
Atletico Madrid is renowned for her stubborn defensive line, but standing at the goal post is a reliable, world-class goalkeeper with an eagle eye – Jan Oblak. The Slovenian giant ever since joining Atletico Madrid from Benfica in 2014 has grown from better to best, and his performance is more than incredible. He has claimed several awards in the La Liga for the past three seasons, including the Ricardo Zamora Trophy and he only conceded less than 20 goals in the recently concluded season. Jan Oblak is very consistent and has great reflexes as well as shot-stopping prowess; He also has the best shots saved % [79.8%] in La Liga, which is one of the reasons why Atletico Madrid is where they are today.
2. MARC-ANDRE TER STEGEN (BARCELONA)
Though Ter Stegen started his career at Barcelona with excessive blunders after joining from Borussia Monchengladbach, he has improved to become one of the most consistent goalkeepers in Europe. He makes clinical saves in virtually every match, which is undoubtedly one of the reasons Barcelona was able to win the La Liga cup in the previous season. That said, this intriguing keeper is only just 26, which means he still has more years to improve himself and even become one of the greatest goalkeepers in history.
3. THIBAUT COURTOIS (REAL MADRID)
Thibaut Courtois is yet another goalkeeper that deserves to be on this list. He performed excellently at the previous World Cup, where he was awarded the Golden Glove award after making more saves (27) than any other goalkeeper. This is one of the reasons why he was signed by Real Madrid from Chelsea FC for a reported fee worth £31.5 million. The 26-year-old is renowned for his great positioning and composure, especially when it comes to one-on-one situations. He is also good at dishing out long passes to reach his teammates from a far distance.
4. SERGIO ASENJO – VILLARREAL
Asenjo joined Villarreal from Atletico Madrid in 2013 but couldn’t play a full season until 2017 due to series of injuries. Ever since his massive return, he has become prominent in goal for Villareal; he plays now and then in the La Liga and has seven clean sheets to his name. Asenjo has also saved 74.1% of shots he faced, and that’s one of the reasons why he is on the list. He has also saved 2 of the three penalties he faced this season.
5. NETO – VALENCIA
Neto is an ex-Juventus backup keeper who was signed by Valencia in 2017 where he has since played almost every game for the club. He is undoubtedly one of the most impressive goalkeepers in La Liga. Yes, his team started the season poorly, but they came alive once again and were able to finish at fourth spot on the table, special thanks to the relentless efforts of this great goalkeeper. Parts of the things that distinguish this 29-year-old Brazilian include his shot stopping and great reflexes. He also has the 2nd highest save % in the league behind Jan Oblak, at 78.1 while he has a lot of clean sheets for his side in the recently-concluded La Liga season.
Also Read:
Top 5 Players to Watch out For in The Woman’s World Cup 2019
10 European Clubs That Won Their League Title This Season
5 Signings That Would Transform Manchester United Next Season
This article is brought to us by our Sports Writers Club resident columnist – Collins Michael Nwokolo. Follow him on Twitter and Pinterest.
