Atletico Madrid earned a 0-0 draw in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final clash at the Vicente Calderon thanks to the heroic exploits of Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak. The young shot-stopper was not well known prior to 2015 but gained some attention following two solid performances against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.
Following his impressive display against bitter rivals Real Madrid, Oblak is starting to make a name for himself. The goalkeeper saved his most impressive performance in an Atletico shirt for the European match against the team’s city rivals Real.
Just 22 years of age, Oblak signed for Atletico Madrid last summer for a pricey £14 million fee from Benfica. Upon his arrival in Spain, he said: “Benfica wanted me to stay and the president has done everything to stop me from leaving, but my wish was to sign for Atletico. The financial factor was not the main reason, but the conditions are much better. Ever since I was a child I have dreamed about playing in the Spanish league. This was always a big challenge that I wanted to take on.”
Following the sale of David De Gea, and the loss of on-loan goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in recent years, Atleti endured a goalkeeper void they desperately needed to fill, and Oblak’s performance against Real Madrid showcased just how good a talent he is, while going some way to paying off his transfer fee.
Real created plenty of chances during Tuesday night’s clash at the Vicente Calderon, but were met with a goalkeeper in fine form. Oblak has not been Atleti’s first-choice in goal this season, but featured in a number of games as an alternative for Moya. Surprisingly, Oblak has earned just four caps for Slovenia in the last three years.
The 22-year-old kept 14 clean sheets in 16 games last season for Benfica. He has three clean sheets in four league games since moving to Atletico, and is currently gaining more notoriety following his Champions League showing. He made a one-on-one save against Real forward Gareth Bale early in the game, and impressively kept out the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema too.
“They are one of the best teams in the world at defending. Oblak did a great job,” said Real Madrid boss Ancelotti after the match.
Oblak did do a good job, and he might continue to feature on a regular basis for Diego Simeone’s side if he can come close to replicating such a fine performance. The future certainly looks bright for the 22-year-old, who is in a crucial stage in his development, and won’t benefit from having his progression needlessly stalled.
It is clear the Atletico manager has avoided placing too much pressure on Oblaks shoulders. Diego Simeone will not rush the Slovenian goalkeeper despite the considerable amount spent to secure his services.
Did Oblak’s performance against Real put his name on the world map and more importantly secure more playing time for the emerging goalkeeper?
