Match winner ter Stegen: This reflex saves Barcelona in stoppage time

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Marc-André ter Stegen saves against Jaume Costa: Barcelona wins on Mallorca

Photo:

JAIME REINA / AFP

Marc-André ter Stegen was celebrated almost frenetically by his teammates on Sunday evening - and on the following day in the Spanish press.

In the 1-0 (1-0) victory of his FC Barcelona at RCD Mallorca, the German national goalkeeper had nothing to do for a long time before Jaume Costa took a half-field cross from just five meters away in the second minute of stoppage time.

Ter Stegen jerked his right arm up, moved almost like an ice hockey goalkeeper and blocked the powerful shot with his forearm. Center-back Gerard Piqué ran up to his goalkeeper, half-lovingly grabbed him in the face and seemed to want to thank him. The Spanish sports newspaper "AS" was similarly enthusiastic: "One wonders whether he is a person or a machine," it said in the individual review of Ter Stegen.

How important the parade was was not only shown in the table, in which Barcelona jumped to fifth place thanks to the victory and are only one point behind champions Atlético (all games and tables in the SPIEGEL sports center).

Barça had to struggle with a corona outbreak in the team in the past few days.

Ten professionals were out on Mallorca due to an infection, numerous more due to injuries or bans.

Coach Xavi criticized the league's decision not to reschedule the game and spoke of »distortion of competition«.

Ter Stegen's parade was also important for the goalkeeper himself. In recent months, the 29-year-old has come under increasing criticism after the club had slipped into what was probably the greatest crisis of recent years.

Criticized after knee injury

Ter Stegen had missed the start of the season as well as the previous European championship due to a persistent knee injury. When he returned to the Catalans' goal on matchday three, insecurities crept into his game. Ter Stegen had always been one of the team's top performers in recent years. Due to the weaker performance of his star goalkeeper and big money problems, Barcelona should even be flirting with a sale, according to media reports.

In the win against Mallorca, Ter Stegen should have collected arguments, but not only he.

Luuk de Jong, who not only scored the winning goal (44th minute), but hit the post within seconds and then hit the crossbar with a spectacular sideways puller (29th) impressed in the striker.

De Jong has been criticized since his commitment, as an emergency access to ex-coach Ronald Koeman and due to his brutal style of play as a striker, he is not considered a classic Barça player among experts.

De Jong was the only active striker between the wingers Ilias Akhomach and Ferran Jutglà from the second team in the starting line-up.

Stars like Jordi Alba, Ousman Dembélé or Philippe Coutinho were missing due to Corona.

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