Iker Casillas chooses between Real Madrid and Barcelona goalkeepers Thibaut Courtois and Marc-Andre ter Stegen
Barcelona and Real Madrid have, historically, boasted some of the best goalkeepers in the world in any given era, from the likes of Andoni Zubizarreta to World Cup winner Iker Casillas. As of 2023, much of the same can still be said about their current shot-stoppers, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Thibaut Courtois.
While they might not be as experienced as the aforementioned pair, the current Blaugrana and Blancos keepers have proven themselves to be among the elite players in the world in their position. They have helped Barcelona and Real Madrid achieve top honours at the highest level in recent years, including La Liga titles, UEFA Champions Leagues, and Copas del Rey, among others.
There is enough reason to debate which of the two goalkeepers is better than the other, even beyond the historic rivalry between the two Clasico clubs.
9 - Thibaut Courtois' nine saves tonight is the most on record (since 2003-04) of any keeper in a single #UCLfinal. Impenetrable. #LIVRMA https://t.co/zIKhl5zaXT
Ahead of their most recent El Clasico in La Liga, former Spain and Blancos icon Iker Casillas was quizzed on who he believes is the better shot-stopper of the two, and the 41-year-old's response was interesting, to say the least. He answered:
"[Marc-Andre] Ter Stegen (is better). He's very good right now."
The German international is one of the key reasons behind Barcelona's stellar defensive numbers this season. The Spanish top-flight leaders have conceded just nine goals in their 26 league games so far, with Ter Stegen managing 19 clean sheets, the highest in the league.
Contrastingly, Courtois — who recently helped Real Madrid win their record 14th European UEFA Champions League crown at the Stade de France in 2022 — has not had the best of seasons. The Man of the Match in the 2022 UCL final has registered just six clean sheets, less than a third of his Barcelona counterpart, conceding 18 goals in his 20 La Liga games.
Barcelona and Real Madrid play out fiery El Clasico at Nou Camp
The Spotify Nou Camp played host to one of the more fiery El Clasicos in recent times as Xavi Hernandez's men emerged victorious with a scoreline of 2-1. The game was in the balance right down to the very last minute when Franck Yannick Kessie fired the winner past Real Madrid's Courtois.
In the aftermath of the dramatic fixture, it was reported that the Blancos camp were notably displeased with La Masia graduate Gavi, citing a lack of sportsmanship on the pitch.
The star teenager was involved in a number of battles across the pitch and was most notably seen barging shoulder-first into compatriot Dani Ceballos towards the end of the game.
19 - Marc-André ter Stegen is the first goalkeeper to keep 19 clean sheets in the first 25 games of a single season in the history of LaLiga, surpassing the previous record set by Francisco Liaño with Deportivo La Coruña in 1993/94 (18). Reliability. https://t.co/GObx9sxt1y
The game was also tainted by controversy as Marco Asensio's 82nd-minute equaliser was chalked off by VAR for an alleged offside in the build-up.
Carlo Ancelotti's men currently trail their arch-rivals by 12 points in the league. While Barcelona have been knocked out of European competitions, the Merengues are still alive in the UCL as they're set to face off against Chelsea come April.