Manchester United returned to the grand stage of the Champions League this week and didn’t look out of place as they defeated FC Basel 3-0 at Old Trafford.

Let’s be honest, Man United will have to face stiffer opposition if they want to reach the final stages of this year’s elite European competition and to get the better of those tougher teams then United’s world class stars will have to step up.

That could mean that goalkeeper David de Gea has to produce top level performances as he’s one of the key members in this current United squad.

I think the Spaniard is up there with the best keepers in the world but he’ll have to prove that this season, week in and week out.

Against Stoke City last weekend, De Gea pulled off a fantastic save and that was the difference between one point and no points at all. He managed to get his hand to a close Jese pointblank range shot and power the fierce effort over the bar. It really was a standout save.

The international was happy with his stop:

“I’ve made some good saves over the whole of my career, and that one was a really good one.”

He would go on to say that his save was spoiled by the fact Stoke managed to grab a draw at the Britannia. That shows you that he’s a perfectionist and a winner. That’s the type of spirit that this Man Utd team need this term as they look to challenge for top honours.

It should be noted that the Red Devil’s number one hadn’t conceded a Premier League goal until that draw in Staffordshire. He had three clean-sheets and also recorded yet another one against Swiss champions Basel.

The Champions League clash showed us another skill that De Gea has and will need this season.

While Basel only produced two shots on target, one of those was definitely goal bound until De Gea once again produced a fine save with his great reflexes. That shows us De Gea has strong concentration levels and can go through games watching most of the action before making a magnificent save out of nowhere, when called upon. Every keeper needs that in their locker at a superior team.

That stop also helped David earn his 100th clean-sheet since he joining Man Utd in 2011. That’s a phenomenal record.

The twenty-six year old has continued to improve and he’s without doubt a great goalie. He wins United plenty of points during a season and that’s a valuable asset for the club.

While Manchester United have improved going forward by bringing in goalscoring striker Romelu Lukaku, they still have a defence that can give away chances. So having a terrific goalkeeper in David de Gea could really be the difference in the biggest fixtures this term, especially in Europe.

That’s why Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho was determined to keep the Spaniard at the club amid strong interest from long-term suitors Real Madrid.

 

Posted on September 14th, 2017 by scott
Filed under: Article