Iago Aspas is half Celtic. At least in terms of spirit and in terms of attack. But Moaña's (35 years old) is more than that. He has become the terror of Ter Stegen, who enjoys his longest unbeaten streak in the League (534 minutes). It is to see the German and make a huge goal for the Galician striker, the emblem player of the light blue team. There is talk of Barcelona's dependence on Lewandowski, but Celta's dependence on Aspas is even greater. His five goals in the current championship account for 55.5% of his team's goals. He concentrated them in the first four days. He has been dry for three years, among other reasons due to back problems that led to his substitution last week against Betis. He took medication to alleviate them and suffered stomach discomfort. But a great goalkeeper like Ter Stegen appears and the best memories for Aspas return to the present. He has been able to stop many of the best in the world but the Galician knows how to hurt him.
He has surpassed no other goalkeeper more. And no other footballer has scored more goals against Ter Stegen. He has scored up to nine goals against him in eleven games (second on the list are former Athletic player Aritz Aduriz and Bayern striker Thomas Müller, both with six).
Some were authentic works of art, others had to do with roguery, but always with the special vision that Aspas has in front of the opposing goal. They have been lively matches, with alternatives, back and forth, with many goals. A blessed landscape for the Prince of Bateas, who has twice achieved doubles against Ter Stegen sheltered from Balaídos. Because at his house it has been much more lethal (seven goals) than at the Camp Nou (two), where the day he won with Celta, with Koeman on the Blaugrana bench, he failed to celebrate a goal of his.
If Ter Stegen is his favorite victim, Barça is the second team he marks the most (ten) after Sevilla (twelve). Curiously, joining the other Barça goalkeepers that Aspas has faced, he has only scored one goal. It was against Cillessen. He could not beat Víctor Valdés, Claudio Bravo and Neto.
In this situation Aspas, a student of the game who usually devours hours and hours of football, meets Ter Stegen again, who has only conceded one goal so far in the championship. “We must be very attentive to his movements. Its quality is undeniable. He makes a lot of differences and Celta depends a lot on him. I like it a lot but we never do individual markings and this time neither. We always do defense as a group”, analyzes the Barcelona coach, Xavi Hernández.
Aspas, whom Luis Enrique keeps forgotten in his calls, is on the prowl. Ter Stegen does not need to be reminded.
