A Zamora at stake

A hand-to-hand duel, but from a distance. That of the 105 meters that separate the goals that Courtois and Oblak will defend in Sunday's derby at the Wanda Metropolitano. The current Zamora trophy (which he won another two with Atlético) against the winner of the previous four seasons, respectively. The Slovenian and Belgian have shared the award for the goalkeeper with the least thrashing in the League seven of the last eight seasons. A period of shared hegemony only interrupted by Claudio Bravo under the sticks of the Barcelona goal in 2014-2015.

They are the goalkeepers who have cleared their goal the most in this League. 12 Oblak matches, 11 Courtois. Until recently, the rojiblanco goalkeeper seemed on his way to his fifth Zamora, with which he would go down in history, equaling Barça's Antoni Ramallets and Víctor Valdés as the most successful goalkeepers. He came to the previous derby with only two goals conceded in ten games. Courtois' average exceeded unity: 12 goals received in 11 games. Less than three months later, the difference has narrowed and the madridista aspires to revalidate his trophy.

Oblak conceded two goals in the derby and another 12 goals in the next 13 games. Until he left a clean sheet last Sunday at Villarreal, the Slovenian was coming off a streak of 10 goals conceded in the previous seven league games. Courtois bolted on Di Stéfano and then has only conceded eight goals, also in 13 games. Until Portu's goal he came from a streak of 457 minutes without conceding in all competitions (367 'in the league). He has kept a clean sheet in six of the last 11 championship games.

Total, Atlético has conceded 16 goals in 24 games, 0.67 points per game on average. The madridista, 20 goals in 25 games (0.80). Sevillista and exatlético Bono, who has 15 goals in 21 games (0.71), is the only one who stands between the two in a fight for Zamora that on Sunday lives a face-to-face episode at Wanda.