Barcelona go into their conflict with Atletico Madrid with most of their squad accessible, however with two key absences in Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Lamine Yamal. Inaki Pena has stepped into the German’s sneakers, however going through him on Saturday night time (21:00 CEST) would be the present Zamora chief Jan Oblak. Former Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Roberto Jimenez has cited Hansi Flick as essential to Pena’s type.
The Masia product confronted heavy criticism final season when filling in for the injured ter Stegen, but made quite a lot of essential saves towards Bayern Munich, Actual Madrid and most lately Borussia Dortmund this time spherical.
Sitting down with Soccer España, Roberto defined the dynamics of the place mentally will be all or nothing. Retiring in 2022, Roberto spent 20 years on the high stage, coming via at Atletico Madrid, with spells at Benfica, Olympiakos and West Ham, earlier than a last cease at Actual Valladolid.
Raphinha: “In the event you play at Barcelona, it’s a must to take into consideration profitable all the things. In the event you do not suppose like that, you are on the unsuitable workforce.” @MovistarFutbol
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The Spanish under-21 worldwide has performed for title contenders, golf equipment with European aspirations, and people within the thick of the relegation battle, however underlines that life is simpler on the high finish of the sport for a goalkeeper, regardless of the stress.
“Completely. If the membership is best, the workforce is best, the gamers are higher, the system is best, all the things is best. Every little thing is there round you, and all this stuff enable you extra. Once I was enjoying for groups that had been combating relegation, I needed to do extra, you face extra photographs, that’s regular. You lose a variety of video games, besides, as a goalkeeper, you’ve gotten the prospect to impress extra.”
“Nevertheless it’s a lot better to be Jan Oblak for instance, who ends a variety of matches with out touching the ball. It means you’ve gotten good defenders, the workforce is organised, and even in case you don’t have to tug off any huge saves, the prize is for the entire workforce while you win 1-0 or 2-0.”
Oblak has introduced up a decade in objective for Atletico now, and has remained top-of-the-line on this planet for the overwhelming majority of that. On the opposing facet is Pena, who has simply 48 skilled video games to his identify.
🚨 Antoine Griezmann has been ranked because the forty first greatest participant on this planet in 2024 by ‘The Guardian’. Julián Álvarez is ranked fifty fifth, and Álvaro Morata is seventieth. pic.twitter.com/psshgvk7GD
— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) December 20, 2024
Most would agree that Pena has been markedly higher than final season although. The bulk additionally thought Wojciech Szczesny would take over from Pena when he arrived out of retirment too, however Roberto known as on his personal expertise to elucidate the 25-year-old’s enchancment.
“The coach’s confidence is all the things for me. I’ve carried out a lot better when I’ve felt that confidence from the coach, and when I’ve felt that my coach just isn’t satisfied about my stage, I’ve performed a lot worse. It’s crucial for Inaki Pena to really feel that from Hansi Flick. And in addition from his teammates.
It’s not a straightforward state of affairs to interchange a participant like Marc-Andre ter Stegen, at such an excellent membership like Barcelona, with a variety of stress on you.”
“I feel he’s exhibiting a variety of character. He got here in and he knew that there can be doubts about him. And recreation by recreation, individuals are getting used to seeing him in objective. The excellent news for you as a goalkeeper, is when no one is speaking about you. He’s doing properly, recreation by recreation.”
La Liga’s high echelon has had an unusually concerned second string of goalkeepers within the final two seasons, with Andriy Lunin and Pena that includes closely. In the summertime, Atletico additionally introduced in Argentina worldwide Juan Musso behind Oblak too.
Does that inside competitors assist or hinder although?
“Not each workforce wants competitors in objective. If in case you have Courtois, when you have ter Stegen. I feel they’ve sufficient character about them to know that they’re primary, however they must push themselves on daily basis to stay that. So that they most likely don’t want somebody on the bench making an attempt to play. If we’re trustworthy about it, making that change is sort of unattainable.”
Great save by Iñaki Peña 🛑#LaLigaHighlights pic.twitter.com/okrdz5TsPJ
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 7, 2024
“However it’s true {that a} workforce wants an excellent second goalkeeper. Somebody with an excellent character, who behaves properly, who is nice with their teammates. A participant that’s keen to be a part of the group, following the workforce mentality and supporting the primary.”
When did Roberto realise that in his personal profession? Not quickly sufficient, he hinted with a wry smile.
“I loved issues rather more after I was the primary and I felt like that (smiles). I suffered so much after I needed to recognise that I used to be the quantity two (laughs). I used to be not the form of goalkeeper who was completely satisfied being the quantity two to be trustworthy,” Roberto stated with full sincerity.