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Entertainment

Revealed: The 5 Goalkeepers Dominating Europe's Top Leagues This Season

Scrutinizing the goalkeeper position, more so than any other, requires us to expand the metric of analysis to incorporate the one asset that’s valued above all others in a shot-stopper: consistency. That’s why, although a plethora of recent statistics might tell us otherwise, many would still pony for Gianluigi Buffon over, say, Marc-Andre ter Stegen as the world’s finest keeper. One’s been at the top of his craft for over 20 years, the other for just a few.

That’s not to say that a sample size as small as the 2017-18 season doesn’t confirm some of our suspicions with regards to who the best goalkeepers in Europe are at present, it just sees some obvious names like Buffon, Hugo Lloris, Petr Cech, Samir Handanovic and the injured Manuel Neuer dropped for the purpose of this exercise.  

So, with the first three months of the new season as our guide, who are the five standout performers in goal across Europe in 2017-18?   

All statistics and figures courtesy of WhoScored.com.

And if you're interested in who the world's sexiest keeper is, it's Loris Karius.

5
Jiri Pavlenka | Werder Bremen
Best goalkeepers in the world

Best goalkeepers in the world.

@jakubdvo | Twitter

12 Bundesliga appearances

4 clean sheets

SAVES

4.7 per game

2.4 inside the penalty area (29 total)

2.3 outside the box

Total - 56 saves, 14 goals conceded (80%)

PASSING

54.8% pass success rate

91/227 on long balls (40.08%)

76/78 on short passes 

4
Alisson | AS Roma
Best goalkeepers in the world

Best goalkeepers in the world.

@ASRomaEspanol | Twitter

12 Serie A appearances

7 clean sheets

SAVES

3.1 per game

1.9 inside the penalty area (23 total)

1.2 outside of the box

Total - 37 saves, 8 goals conceded (82.22%)

PASSING

80.2% pass success rate

95/164 on long balls (57.9%)

184/184 on short passes

3
Jan Oblak | Atletico Madrid
Best goalkeepers in the world

Best goalkeepers in the world.

@LCPSG | Twitter

12 La Liga appearances

7 clean sheets

SAVES

3.4 per game

1.8 inside the penalty area (22 total)

1.5 outside of the box

Total - 41 saves, 6 goals conceded (87.23%)

PASSING

52% pass success rate

73/207 on long balls (35.2%)

72/72 on short passes 

2
David de Gea | Manchester United
Best goalkeepers in the world

Best goalkeepers in the world.

@MirrorFootball | Twitter

12 Premier League appearances

8 clean sheets

SAVES

3 per game

1.5 inside the penalty area (18 total)

1.4 outside of the box

Total - 36 saves, 6 goals conceded (85.7%)

PASSING

57.2% pass success rate

102/245 on long balls (41.6%)

89/89 on short passes

1
Marc-Andre ter Stegen | Barcelona
Best goalkeepers in the world

Best goalkeepers in the world.

@Tacticomotion_ | Twitter

12 La Liga appearances

8 clean sheets

SAVES

2.8 per game

1.8 inside the penalty area (21 total)

1 outside of the box

Total - 34 saves, 4 goals conceded (89.47%)

PASSING

81.2% pass success rate

67/133 on long balls (50.3%)

227/229 on short passes

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