The statistic that positions Iñaki Peña as one of the best goalkeepers in LaLiga 2024-25

The FC Barcelona suffered a heavy setback with the injury of Marc-André ter Stegen. First, because he is a key player in the Barça scheme, and second, due to the severity of the physical setback he suffered: a rupture of the right knee patellar tendon. Under this premise, according to various sources, it is expected that the former Borussia Mönchengladbach player will be out of action for at least six to eight months. In light of this situation, the big question arose: What will Barça do? Will they bet on Iñaki Peña or look for a new goalkeeper in the free agent market?

Ultimately, Barcelona opted for a combination of both options. They ventured into the free agent market and secured the services of an experienced goalkeeper like Wojciech Szczęsny, whom they brought out of retirement. However, the Barça team considered the Polish goalkeeper more as a reinforcement for the position, delegating the responsibility of defending the goal to the 25-year-old academy player, Iñaki Peña.

This decision, based on observations from last season, created some uncertainty. Although the Alicante goalkeeper sometimes demonstrated very good performances, he also showed that the lack of confidence could affect his performance. Therefore, with this doubt in mind, the key question was: What version of Iñaki Peña will we see now that he faces the great challenge of being the starting goalkeeper for the rest of the season?

Apparently, the bet on Iñaki Peña as the starting goalkeeper has proven to be correct. Backed by the confidence of the German coach Hansi Flick, who did not hesitate for a moment to designate him as the starter, the '13' has delivered truly remarkable performances, especially in matches against Bayern Munich (4-1) and Real Madrid (0-4), where he proved to be up to the task.

The statistic that positions Iñaki Peña as one of the best goalkeepers in LaLiga

The notable increase in Iñaki Peña's performance is not just a coincidence, but is backed by statistics. Currently, the Alicante goalkeeper has stood out as one of the best goalkeepers in LaLiga EA Sports, ranking second in clean sheets with four in six matches, having conceded only five goals. In this regard, the Barça academy player is only behind Álex Remiro of Real Sociedad, who has kept his goal clean five times in eleven matches played.