Cup specialist Ter Stegen helping Barcelona's cause
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
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He may only be playing in knockout competitions but Marc-André ter Stegen is turning heads in FC Barcelona's European challenge; UEFA.com's Graham Hunter pays tribute.
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From Monchengladbach, where Marc-André ter Stegen was born, it is 83km to Manuel Neuer's Gelsenkirchen birthplace and 593km to Berlin's Olympic Stadium, where the UEFA Champions League climaxes on 6 June.
FC Barcelona's 22-year-old goalkeeper is giving the distinct impression that he may be closing in on a date with one or other – perhaps both. To Ter Stegen, FC Bayern München's Neuer represents "the best goalkeeper in the world ... I'm a bit behind him".
However nobody, least of all Neuer, could fail to be impressed by what this man is achieving in his first season at Barcelona – even if Paris Saint-Germain only managed two attempts on target during their 2-0 defeat at the Camp Nou in the quarter-final second leg.
Not only has Ter Stegen had to cope with a change of language, culture and league, Luis Enrique prefers to use Claudio Bravo in the Liga and the less experienced German in both the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League.
Ter Stegen admits that has been a challenge. "It's difficult for me, being in and out of the team and not playing all the games, but that's part of the development of a player. I'm glad I can play in the Champions League [semi-final] and that we're in the Copa del Rey final. To me, that's testament to my work."
The two matches against Paris added not only to his education but his growing reputation. Ter Stegen's only serious error all season was in Barcelona's 3-2 defeat at the Parc des Princes on matchday two, missing a cross that allowed Marco Verratti to score.
However, in his two knockout appearances against Laurent Blanc's side, Ter Stegen conceded just the one goal, deflected past him by his team mate Jérémy Mathieu in last week's first leg. Indeed, in both matches the young German made exceptional saves: a sure sign of progress.
Over the decades, top goalkeepers have always underlined that to be under-worked but to maintain concentration is one of the ultimate skills. Ter Stegen was rarely tested over 180 minutes against Paris, but his first-leg save from Edinson Cavani's fierce drive and then a parry to keep out Zlatan Ibrahimović's second-half effort at the Camp Nou indicated his focus.
His fifth clean sheet of the competition leaves him with a slightly lower goals against average than Neuer. It also increases the chances of him measuring himself directly against his Mannschaft rival, either over two legs in the semi-final, or, perhaps, in the German-hosted final, following FC Bayern München's aggregate victory against FC Porto.
Not that Ter Stegen worries about whether he or Neuer win any statistical duels. "Good performances always improve your confidence, but to me it's not only important what I alone do," he explained. "It's important what the team does on the pitch, and if we win together I'm happy."
Now he is guaranteed at least two more moments when he hears a sound he loves: "To me, when 'that' anthem sounds I know it's time for the Champions League. I get goosebumps, like everybody else."
