Champions League Performance Insights: Why goalkeepers can be the difference-makers
Monday, April 13, 2026
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UEFA Technical Observer Packie Bonner explains the crucial role that goalkeepers must play when the margins are tight in the knockout phase.
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The UEFA Champions League quarter-finals conclude this week and, on the evidence of the first-leg games, goalkeepers will have a big say in the eventual outcomes.
That is the view of Packie Bonner, UEFA Technical Observer and member of UEFA's goalkeeper advisory group.
"The goalkeeper now is regarded as an integral part of the team, both defending and attacking, but the defending part is still so critical," he says. "And making the big saves at the right moment can be the difference in progression through a competition or going out. You can play great football throughout a game but there'll always be a moment and it's critical that your goalkeeper can step up and make those saves when called upon."
Bonner's view is supported by the following analysis of the first-leg action, carried out together with the UEFA game insights unit.
Last week's matches backed up Bonner's assertion about the goalkeeper's ability to be the difference-maker when the margins are so fine – as is often the case at this advanced stage of a competition.
The graphic above illustrates the point by showing that without the nine saves of Manuel Neuer, which had a combined xG (Expected Goals) value of 1.05, Bayern München would not have won at Real Madrid. The same applies to David Raya whose five saves (xG 1.57) were the platform for Arsenal snatching a late winner at Sporting CP.
Defending the goal
The first video below includes a save from each of Neuer and Raya, starting with the former's magnificent low stop to deny Kylian Mbappé, which we previously examined in our In The Zone analysis last week.
Dissecting the technical details of the Bayern goalkeeper's save, Bonner highlights the importance of his movement prior to the shot "especially with his arms as he uses these along with his feet to propel his dive. They go back behind his body and then forward. The important point here is the timing of this movement together with his balance being forward and his feet being in contact with the ground as the shot is struck."
Bonner offers a similar appraisal of Raya's save from Sporting CP No10 Geny Catamo, seen in clip two. As with Neuer, he cites his movement and his balance as well as his focus on the ball. "Raya's movements are shorter but nevertheless very important as he's continually adjusting his position in relation to the movement of the ball, always keeping in contact with the ground to keep balanced and with his weight [tilted] forward," says Bonner.
The third example features Liverpool's Giorgi Mamardashvili saving from Paris Saint-Germain winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, a save made difficult by the deflection off Alexis Mac Allister. Bonner explains: "The key elements are ground contact as the ball is struck and driving off his right foot to dive forward to make the save."
"You have to be technically good but you also have to have a mentality that allows you to stay focused throughout the game and make the save when called upon."
Defending 1v1s
The second category of goalkeeping actions to focus on are those saves made in 1v1 situations, where timing and speed of movement are highly important.
Neuer features in the first clip above in which he reads the through ball and closes down the space quickly before denying Mbappé. Bonner adds: "It's about staying big and being able to adopt the stance for a five-point save as the distance between him and the attacker is very short." For the lay person, the five points in a "five-point save" refer to a goalkeeper's legs, arms and head and Bonner will elaborate on this in the coaching reflection below.
In the case of clip two and Mamardashvili, the Liverpool goalkeeper drops back initially but then, with Desiré Doué taking an extra touch, he advances towards the ball to make the goal smaller. Bonner applauds his reading of the situation and decision-making as it "allows him to close down the space and use the five-point save effectively".
Defending the space behind
For the third video, the focus shifts to goalkeepers responding to balls in behind their defensive line. As Bonner outlines, it is vital that they are able to read the situation and judge the flight of the pass; if they do decide to attack the ball, they must then select the right technique to deal with it effectively.
Neuer, Raya and Mamardashvili all feature above, with Bonner highlighting the example of Raya for his "awareness that his header needed to go wide into space to allow him time to recover to protect his goal".
Expanding on the tactical component involved, he adds: "Goalkeepers must be aware of the tactical information given to the defenders by the coach during open play." Hence in situations where the team tactic is to push high and man-mark, leaving a lot of space in behind, it is crucial that the goalkeeper is always aware and adopts the correct starting position even when the ball is deep in the opposition half.
Coaching reflection – Two types of save
"There are two types of save that the goalkeeper in today's game performs," says Packie Bonner. "One is a dive from a set position, the other is a five-point blocking save."
This graphic offers a breakdown of these two types, and Bonner adds: "If the shot is coming from distance, then the correct set position is critical to allow the goalkeeper to cover a bigger area. If it's close, the five-point save can be very effective to cover space and block.
"The key is to develop and perfect both. Different game situations, with appropriate cues, must be introduced in training to ensure that, when under pressure in a match, the goalkeeper chooses the right one at the right moment."
Finally, as well as making saves, a goalkeeper has a variety of other responsibilities within the team unit. As Bonner explains: "There's the defensive side and the attacking side, with transitions, set pieces, all of those aspects. It's a huge task." And, as he touched on in the third section, those complex demands mean that a goalkeeper must be fully incorporated into the team's game plan.
In order for them to be aware of the tactical instructions, he advises: "Goalkeeper coaches must work collectively with the other members of the coaching team on the training ground. It needs a collective collaboration and this is something we're trying to progress a lot within coach education."
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