Oblak, faced with the unknown

Jan Oblak has experienced a very different last month than he is used to. The Slovenian, probably the best goalkeeper in the world and a used to leaving a clean sheet, something he has done in 164 of his 319 games with Atlético (51% of the games and an average of 0.72 goals per game), it has suffered an unprecedented drain on its network.

Unexplained defensive failures, very clear opposing chances and even actions where Oblak was not forceful They have meant that since the previous break the Slovenian’s numbers have collapsed, and with him the team’s results. With Atlético, the Slovenian left the door to zero without problems against Barcelona just before facing that international break; after him have come a total of 12 goals conceded in only six games played. Five of them were from Liverpool in the two Champions League games against the English.

Three in the Wanda Metropolitano (2-3), the first with Milner deflecting the ball almost in the small area after Salah had overwhelmed three defenders, another from outside the area after a poor clearance by Felipe and the final one with an inexplicable penalty from Hermoso on Jota that the Egyptian defined. And at Anfield there were two more with Jota and Mané finishing in the small area before the defensive ineffectiveness of the centrals. In the League, Real Sociedad added a point in the Metropolitano (2-2) with two goals where perhaps Oblak could do something else, especially in the second of Isak’s foul for his stick. CAgainst Levante, another two would arrive, from Bardhi and from a penalty, the first due to a kick from Suárez that he had not cleared first in his own area and the second with one of those inexplicable modern hands with the VAR as the protagonist and that cost two points.

If against Betis (3-0) the tension was lowered behind, getting the only victory and the only clean sheet between the last two stops, again Valencia took advantage of the rojiblancos errors to score a point in a match that seemed to be won with the 1-3 on the scoreboard in the 90th minute. Oblak cleared Guedes’ powerful shot, but the hit on Savic became an own goal and Hugo Duro became the hero of Mestalla with two shots in the discount after lateral centers badly defended by the rear. 12 goals in six games and a single duel without conceding, figures that have complicated things a lot for Simeone’s. Adding the selection, Oblak left the door to zero against Malta in the first match of the previous break, But since October 11 he has conceded two goals against Russia, another two against Slovakia and one more against Cyprus.

If the goal is insurance, those 17 goals conceded in nine games have taken him into an unknown world. Back to Atlético, Simeone is already working hard in training to not allow such mistakes behind and occasions so clear for the rivals. Keep in mind that Atlético is the team that concedes the fewest shots on goal in all of LaLiga, but the chances are clear. Taking into account Opta’s data, for example, Oblak has conceded the same goals as Diego López … receiving 34 fewer shots on goal (26 for 60). If this season there are 13 goals against in 12 games, last year the Slovenian had only received five at this stage of the year. The first red-and-white mission, with Oblak at the head, is to recover that fortress behind and those clean sheets that are so important to the team.