Top five goalkeepers with most clean sheets in single season in Europe's top five leagues
The clean sheet maestros of European football
In the realm of European Football, the competition is fierce and goals are protected with relentless fervor, a selected group of goalkeepers have distinguished themselves as the masters of the defense.
These goalkeepers have forged an unbreakable barrier, accumulating the most clean sheets in a single season, they have etched their names in the annals of the game by performing impressively in Europe.
Let us look at the guardians of the goal, with most clean sheets in a single season in Europe's top five leagues:
5. Andoni Zubizarreta: 24 clean sheets
The legendary Spanish goalkeeper, had an exceptional 1986-87 season in the LaLiga with Barcelona. His commanding presence, agility, and exceptional positioning frustrated attackers and denied them any chance of finding back of the net.
Fondly known as "Zubi" among football fans, played his best football in that particular season. In the same season, he conceded 29 goals and kept 24 clean sheets, helped Barcelona finish second in the LaLiga.
4. Jan Oblak: 24 clean sheets
Jan Oblak, the talented Slovenian goalkeeper, had an outstanding season in the 2015-16 LaLiga campaign. Throughout this season, he proved to be a formidable presence in the goal, maintaining a remarkable level of performance.
During that season, he recorded a total of 24 clean sheets, he earned the Zamora Trophy for the fourth time in a row. He was the only goalkeeper with the least "goals-to-game" ratio, equaling the 22-year-old record of Deportivo's goalkeeper Francisco Liano.
3. Petr Cech: 24 clean sheets
One of the best goalkeeper of the Premier League era, Czech international Petr Cech moved to Chelsea in the 2004-05 season from the French club Rennes. That season, Chelsea's first goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini got injured.
Following the injury, the then manager Jose Mourinho, who joined the club the same season promoted Cech to the first team. Cech made the most of this opportunity, he had a record breaking season, he kept 24 clean sheets and conceded just 15 goals in the entire season. His performances helped Chelsea to win the Premier League title after a gap of 50 years.
2. Francisco Liano: 26 clean sheets
The Spanish custodian spent 15 years as a senior team player but 1993-94 season for the Spanish goalkeeper was the best he has ever played. He was representing Deportivo during that time, they were termed as the "Unstoppables" and a team to beat.
The most important role in that team was played by their goalkeeper Francisco Liano, who just conceded 18 goals that season, less than half of what Barcelona conceded (42 goals). He kept 26 clean sheets that season, which by far is the most by an any goalkeeper in Europe.
1. Marc-Andre Ter Stegen: 26 clean sheets
Barcelona's last LaLiga match against Mallorca was a heartbreaking one for the fans as Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba played their last ever game for the club. But, there was joy in the stadium as the German goalkeeper equaled the record, the same record which has been there for almost 3 decades.
On Sunday, Ter Stegen, earned his 26 clean sheet of the season, equalling the all-time record in LaLiga, which was set by Deportivo's Francisco Liano in the 1993-94 campaign. Barcelona only conceded 15 goals this season with Ter Stegen in between the posts.
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