Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has told his teammates that their attention must focus on winning the La Liga title and Europa League.
Recall that Barça were eliminated when Inter Milan beat Viktoria Plzen earlier in the day, which meant their match against Bayern did not count for anything but pride. Bayern won 3-0.
“Disappointment,” Ter Stegen said when asked for his feelings. “We didn’t lose it today but the moment in general right now is painful.
“One of the objectives was to stay in the Champions League. Now we have to focus on what is to come in LaLiga.
“Obviously knowing we were already out had an influence. It was a strange feeling. It was more of a pride issue, but we could not match Bayern tonight. They scored goals at key moments and we could not compete.”
Style of play
Ter Stegen has been described as a tall, agile and consistent goalkeeper, with quick reflexes, good decision-making and excellent shot-stopping abilities between the posts; he is also strong in the air, good in one-on-one situations, and effective at communicating with his back-line courtesy of his strong personality.
Due to his ability to read the game and speed when rushing off his line, he is able to anticipate opponents outside the area who have beaten the offside trap. Being highly competent with the ball at his feet, he is known for his control and accurate distribution of the ball, and often functions as a sweeper-keeper, due to his ability to play the ball out from the back. He often uses his legs to close down players and to make crucial saves in what has been described as a ‘German goalkeeping style’.
Moreover, he possesses good fundamental goalkeeping technique, and a strong positional sense. In 2020, former Spain and Barcelona goalkeeper Salvador Sadurní noted that Ter Stegen’s style of play is very similar to that of his German compatriot Manuel Neuer. Regarded as a highly promising player in his youth, he has since established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in world football.
