Goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen nearing the Trofeo Zamora

Goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen again kept a clean sheet with Barcelona against Sevilla (3-0) on Sunday evening. The counter of the German goalkeeper now stands at fifteen clean sheets in La Liga, with which he is heading for the Trofeo Zamora.

This prize is awarded annually in Spain to the goalkeeper who conceded the least number of goals in La Liga on average. The last Barcelona goalkeeper to lift the trophy was Claudio Bravo in the 2014/15 season. Ter Stegen was already under contract at Camp Nou at the time, but then only played in the Champions League and the Spanish Cup tournament. Since Ter Stegen became the regular first choice in 2016, Jan Oblak (4x), Thibaut Courtois (1x) and Yassine Bounou (1x) have been the least passed keepers in La Liga.

It must be strange if leader Barcelona does not close the competition this season with the least passed defense. After twenty rounds, the counter is only seven goals against, ten less than Atlético Madrid, Real Madrid and Villarreal. Ter Stegen kept a clean sheet in fifteen matches. In Spanish media, the former goalkeeper of Borussia Mönchengladbach has already been called The Wall and the ‘German giant’, but the sports papers agree that it is also the result of the development of the team as a whole.

Most clean sheets in top 10 European leagues

Ter Stegen himself therefore refused to claim the credits for the excellent defensive figures. “We are doing very well and that is why we are at the top. The defensive work does not depend on one or two people or the defense, but on the whole team,” he told DAZN. For example, according to the thirty-year-old goalie, Barça has the remaining defense very well in order. “If you’re not positioned properly, you’re going to have a hard time. The goalkeeper is reaping the benefits of that,” said Ter Stegen, who only had to make one save against Sevilla.