Atlético Madrid already knew they had an excellent goalkeeper in Jan Oblak. We've seen him make some impressive saves and give inspiring performances in the past couple of years. Still, at just 23 years old and still developing, Atlético were waiting for him to take that extra step forward to join the elite of goalkeepers in Europe.
Jan Oblak frustrated Bayern Munich and became a star
The Atlético Madrid goalkeeper put in a jaw-dropping performance over two legs in the Champions League semifinal.
Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images
After the eye-popping performance Oblak put in against Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinals, we don't have to wait any longer. The young Slovenian is no longer a star in the making -- he's a star right now.
Time and time again during both matches, Oblak was tested fiercely by Bayern's attack. Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Müller, Franck Ribéry and the rest of that high-powered group of Bayern stars challenged him repeatedly, and on all but two occasions, he came out the victor. His shot-stopping in goal was impressive enough on its own, but he did all of the little things right as well.
Throughout both matches, Oblak constantly worked to cut off passing lanes between Bayern attackers in the box, to make crosses more difficult and prevent shots from being taken without pressure and in ideal positions. He organized his defense, distributed the ball well and served as an excellent leader on the pitch for his team. That’s all incredibly valuable, and often underrated in a goalkeeper’s game.
But let’s not overlook those saves. Oh goodness, let’s not overlook those saves.
That’s Oblak’s penalty save against Bayen in the second leg, when he read Müller perfectly, then stayed alert and reacted well to save the follow-up on the rebound. He also made an excellent save when Arturo Vidal struck a vicious shot for a potential winner, despite having to react to a deflection off one of his defenders and not being able to see the ball well as it came in. Add those two stops to the absolute clinic he put on in the first leg in Madrid, and you have perhaps the best goalkeeping performance we’ll see across two legs in the Champions League all season.
Yes, he got beat twice by Bayern in the second leg. Nobody is perfect. The first goal was one that few goalkeepers save -- a low free kick from the top of the box that came through a gap in the wall. The second was a point-blank header after a tight-angle cross. Perhaps Oblak could have played that better, but again -- no one is perfect, and with how he’s developed as a young player this season, you can bet that he’ll learn from that mistake and be much better the next time he faces such a situation.
The simple fact is this: Jan Oblak won this Champions League semifinal tie for Atlético Madrid. As good as the rest of Atlético were, Bayern Munich were better, and if Oblak was even slightly less astounding than he was over these two matches, they win handily. Did Bayern screw up a number of chances to but Atlético away? Absolutely. But when they were on point, Oblak made their lives a lot more difficult, and put them into much worse positions to try to win than a lesser goalkeeper would have.
Before this season -- heck, even before this tie -- the conversation about Oblak has been about his potential as a player, and when he can become the star that he has the raw ability to be. Now the only question is just how freakishly good he can become. The sky is the limit for this young Slovenian, and we’re watching the start of what could be a truly special goalkeeping career.
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