Record breaker Ter Stegen

He's the number in more ways than one. Real Sociedad, Mallorca, Leganés, Sevilla and Athletic Club have come up against the wall in consecutive confrontations with Barça this season as Marc-André ter Stegen has recorded a grand total of 450 minutes without conceding a goal. 

The run began in the final game before the suspension of the league due to the Covid-19 crisis with the 1-0 victory over Real Sociedad at Camp Nou in La Liga. That was followed post-lockdown with wins against Mallorca, Leganés, the draw away at Sevilla and the most recent win, over Athletic Club at Camp Nou. In all these games Ter Stegen did not have to pick the ball out of the back of the net and he has now gone 450 minutes without conceding in La Liga, beating his record of 442 set back in 2016. 

The next record in his sights is his own personal one in all competitions; 652 minutes set in the league and the Champions League over the season 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons.  

New 'normal' 

Since the restart of the league earlier this month, Barça are the only side yet to concede a goal. Marc-André ter Stegen has been vital in that achievement making several vital saves including stand off efforts from Japanese winger Kubo against Mallorca and from Ocampos in the Sánchez Pizjuán against Sevilla. 

In total the blaugranes have kept 15 clean sheets in all competitions this season and Ter Stegen has been key conceding just 34 goals in 38 matches, an average of less than one a game. 

More than four years since 5 games without conceding 

With Ter Stegen in between the posts, the hope is that Barça can continue their run of not conceding and extent their run of five games, an achievement last recorded in the 2015/16 season when the team went on to keep eight consecutive clean sheets, five with Claudio Bravo in goal and three with the German. 

The goalkeeper from Mönchengladbach has some tough challenges coming up with fixtures against Celta, Atlético Madrid and Villarreal on the horizon. Nevertheless, with the form he has shown in recent matches, no-one would bet against the German bettering his own record in the weeks ahead.