Barcelona Faces Goalkeeping Challenge as Ter Stegen Undergoes Surgery
Barcelona is set to navigate a challenging period without their star goalkeeper, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who will be sidelined for several months due to a serious knee injury. The 32-year-old German international underwent a successful operation on Monday after suffering a complete rupture of the patella tendon in his right knee during Barcelona’s impressive 5-1 victory over Villarreal in LaLiga.
Reports from Spanish media indicate that Ter Stegen is expected to be out for at least eight months, effectively ending his season. However, head coach Hansi Flick remains optimistic about the team’s prospects, placing his trust in young goalkeeper Inaki Pena to step up in Ter Stegen’s absence.
“Inaki is doing very well, even in pre-season. He has worked hard to be here and is focused and ready to play,” Flick stated ahead of the upcoming home match against Getafe. Despite the youthfulness of the defensive lineup, Flick expressed confidence in Pena’s abilities, emphasizing that the team does not feel under pressure.
Having joined Barcelona’s prestigious La Masia academy at the age of 13, 25-year-old Pena has accumulated 23 first-team appearances, conceding 39 goals and achieving five clean sheets. Last season, he made 10 league appearances, with a save percentage of 56.4%, which is notably lower than Ter Stegen’s impressive 73.5%. Pena conceded 17 goals from an expected goals on target (xGoT) of 13.89, resulting in a goals prevented underperformance of 3.1, while Ter Stegen conceded 27 goals from 27.84 xGoT faced.
Barcelona’s injury woes extend beyond Ter Stegen, as they are also missing new signing Dani Olmo, midfielders Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Marc Bernal, and Fermin Lopez, as well as defenders Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen.
Despite these setbacks, Barcelona has made a stellar start to the season under Flick’s leadership, winning six consecutive matches and sitting at the top of LaLiga, four points ahead of reigning champions Real Madrid. Flick, however, is not resting on his laurels, stating, “We analyzed the game against Villarreal and identified many areas for improvement. We haven’t reached our full potential yet; there’s always more to achieve. We are progressing step by step.”
As Barcelona prepares for their next challenge, all eyes will be on Inaki Pena to see if he can rise to the occasion and help maintain the team’s strong start to the season.
