SAN FRANCISCO, December 26, (THEWILL) – With just one loss so far this season, Atletico Madrid is at the pinnacle of the Spanish top flight, La Liga, having played two games fewer than defending champions and joint leaders Real Madrid and three games less than third-placed Real Sociedad. Their only loss was a 2-0 defeat to Zinedine Zidane’s charges which featured an unprecedented own-goal by the consistently reliable shot-stopper for Atleti, Jan Oblak.
That has been the one blight in an otherwise sterling record for Oblak this term. Oblak, who became the most expensive goalkeeper to join a Spanish top-flight side when he moved to the Estadio Wanda Metropolitan from Benfica for €16million in 2014, has consistently performed at the highest levels every season keeping Diego Simeone’s side competitive.
Now into his seventh full season, the 27-year-old has remained one of Los Rojiblancos’ best performers and that has stayed the same in the 2020-21 campaign with his typically outstanding form between the sticks largely responsible for where the team currently stands. The Slovenian international has kept a clean sheet in nine of his 13 La Liga appearances so far.
Furthermore, he has conceded the fewest number of goals in the league, just five, while only three goalkeepers have made more than his 39 saves. It means he has a save percentage of 88.1 per cent, comfortably ahead of Yassine Bounou in second place, the Sevilla stopper saving just shy of 80 per cent of the shots he has faced this season.
Oblak was responsible for four crucial saves when Atleti brushed past Barcelona by 1-0 last month. He stood between the net and the whole squad that even Messi was unable to find a way through on that occasion. It is no wonder he is considered to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
One of those who hold this opinion is none other than Lionel Messi who has faced him competitively enough times to know this for a fact. While the Barcelona ace hailed Oblak as one of the best in the world, he was quick to admit how much he relished the challenge of trying to beat him in the field of play.
“It’s an extra motivation to be able to, or to try to, score a goal, with what it means and how hard it is, as he proves in every game he plays. So, it’s nice to see him outside but also face him in the games. It makes them more exciting,” Messi submits.
For each of the previous seasons, rumours have swirled around the goalkeeper of an impending move out of La Liga with constant big money hawks like Chelsea, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain in the orbit of grabbing the goalie from Atleti but that has not materialised. With his contract still tying him to the Spanish capital for the time being and Chelsea securing the services of the very reliable Senegalese stopper Edouard Mendy, his days at Atleti will go on for the time being.
There are exciting encounters to look forward to domestically and in Europe. The team qualified for the last 32 as the second-placed side in their group behind defending champions and Bundesliga giants, Bayern Munich. The coincidence is that they are scheduled to meet Chelsea in the next round of the UEFA Champions League. There, Oblak will show why he is the toast of the goalkeepers in Spain and across the world. And maybe give Mendy a run for his money.
But, in the domestic competition, few will bet against Oblak relishing away the opportunity for Los Colchoneros staying consistent at the top of La Liga with the promise of taking the League from the duopoly of Real and Barca. If anyone can bring that to pass, Oblak’s name will top that list and he is in the kind of form to make that happen.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
