There have been quite a lot of engaging video games in Champions League final season the place Actual Madrid have been topped the winners.
Whereas loads was been mentioned about strikers and gamers who’ve been scoring frequently, not an excessive amount of consideration has been positioned on the goalkeepers who’ve been doing a little excellent work all by means of the video games.
In the present day we have a look at the keepers with essentially the most appearances in Champions League historical past.
The Spaniard is just one of many six keepers to have made greater than 100 appearances within the competitions. Valdez edges former Bayern Munich captain Oliver Kahn (103) for a spot within the prime 5.
The La Masia academy graduate made his first-team debut for the membership in August 2002, earlier than finally nailing down a daily beginning berth within the aspect throughout the 2003/04 marketing campaign, happening to be the undisputed first-choice in his place for the following decade. He received three Champions League titles with Barca.
The Chelsea legend received the Champions League in 2012 because the Blues overcame Bayern Munich in their very own yard within the showpiece.
The Czech stopper – who’s essentially the most capped participant in his nation’s historical past – was integral to that success in Munich, retaining out former teammate Arjen Robben’s extra-time penalty, earlier than making two important saves within the ensuing shootout to assist Roberto Di Matteo’s aspect clinch a maiden triumph within the competitors.
The legendary Italian stays one of many prime keepers to fail to win the Champions League. Of the 42 gamers to have reached a century of appearances in Europe’s elite competitors, the Juventus legend is one in every of solely three to not have received it, alongside Spanish icon Cesc Fabregas and the enigmatic Swede, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
He and former teammate Paolo Montero – are the one two gamers to have reached three finals with out profitable it, ending runner-up in 2003, 2015, and 2017.
Bayern Munich’s 2-1 win over Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday night not solely maintained their 100% begin to the group stage, but additionally noticed Manuel Neuer transfer degree with the person above on 124 Champions League appearances.
He arrived at Bayern from Schalke in 2011, happening to win two Champions League titles.
The Actual Madrid icon was the membership’s primary for over 15 years after making his debut as a youngster again in 1999.
The 1999/2000 season would see the teen set a then-record because the youngest goalkeeper to ever make a Champions League look, beginning in opposition to Olympiakos on the age of simply 18 years and 177 days.
On the finish of that marketing campaign, he grew to become the youngest ‘keeper to play in and win a Champions League closing as Los Blancos beat Valencia, whereas two years later he got here off the bench for the injured Cesar Sanchez and helped the La Liga aspect edge previous Bayer Leverkusen to earn a second main European honor.
He must wait one other 12 years, nonetheless, to bag his third and closing Champions League title, as Carlo Ancelotti’s aspect clinched the much-coveted ‘La Decima’ with victory over Atletico Madrid in Lisbon in 2014.
The 40-year-old was solely lately overtaken by former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo because the Champions League’s report appearance-maker, whereas he’s additionally nonetheless main the way in which with the clear sheets within the competitors’s historical past (59).
