Jan Oblak and the Art of Making Frustrated Opponents

Jan Oblak when first time join Atletico © Atletico Madrid

One factor that makes Atletico Madrid hard to beat is Jan Oblak presence under the crossbar. The 24-year-old Slovenia goalkeeper even often makes the opposing players feel frustrated by his toughness in guarding the goal.

Oblak greatness has been recognized in the La Liga. Trofeo Ricardo Zamora from the last two seasons he won was a real testament. He grabbed it because he deserved it.

Your #LaLiga record is ridiculous, Jan Oblak. 😱 pic.twitter.com/SdOSD28MQp

— LaLiga (@LaLigaEN) October 4, 2017

This 2017/18 season is his fourth season in Atletico uniform. The statistics in La Liga are amazing.

In 86 appearances so far, Oblak has gained 50 clean sheets (matches without conceding) and just conceded 49.

Jan Oblak in La Liga
Appearance: 86
Conceded: 49
Match without conceding: 50
Yellow card: 3
Red card: 0.

Jan Oblak statistic in La Liga (c) Transfermarkt

Oblak was the best goalkeeper in the Portuguese Primeira Liga 2013/14 season, Atletico recruited from Benfica for € 16 million in July 2014. At that time, he became the most expensive goalkeeper in La Liga history.

Oblak was projected to be a substitute for Thibaut Courtois who returned to Chelsea. When presented as a new Atletico player, Oblak said: "I have come not to replace anyone, I came as another player."

"I will do everything to defend this uniform, I will do everything I can to help the team."

Oblak proves it. Slowly but surely, he developed an art that is now synonymous with him - the art of frustrating the opponent with great saving below the goal.

In the beginning, Oblak was just a backup for Miguel Angel Moya, who was recruited from Getafe a month earlier. But the injury suffered by the Spanish goalkeeper against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League changed everything. Oblak seized the place of Moya and made his senior just played matches in Copa del Rey.

But Oblak indeed deserved to be the main goalkeeper. His toughness as the last bastion of Atletico increased in the 2015/16 season, where he won Trofeo Zamora after conceding only 18 goals in 38 La Liga matches - equaling Francisco Liano (Deportivo La Coruna) record for 22 years.

In Slovenian national team, he was also out of the shadow of Samir Handanovic who retired at the end of 2015.

The following season, the award for a goalkeeper with the lowest goals-to-games ratio in La Liga was falling again into Oblak's hands. Then the Spanish media dubbed him ' Jan Zamora '.

It is not easy to steal goals from Oblak. Players like Neymar, Luis Suarez to Karim Benzema have just scored a goal against Oblak in several matches.

So far, only four players have scored more than one goal against Oblak in La Liga. The top two are Lionel Messi from Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo from rivals Real Madrid.

Goal vs Jan Oblak in La Liga
4 - Lionel Messi (5 matches)
3 - Cristiano Ronaldo (4 matches)
2 - Roberto Soriano (2 matches)
2 - Cristhian Stuani (1 matches).

With his prowess as a goalkeeper, Oblak is like having mastered the art of frustrating the opponent. The last player frustrated by him was Nabil El Zhar.

Atletico against the host Leganes on Jornada 7 La Liga 2017/18. Atletico could only grab draw 0-0 and failed to bring home maximum points.. But one point itself deserves to be grateful for them.

Atletico could have lost. Oblak who prevent them from defeat. Three shots on target, all by El Zhar, were successfully broken by Oblak with his heroic action.

That was the 50th clean sheet of Oblak in La Liga.

Leganes was frustrated by him. But they didn't need to worry because they were not the first and the only one. Many others already feel the same.