Featured Articles / Alsy / 07 June 2008 / Leave a comment

Alsy speaks up for the top-class keepers you're about to see at Euro 2008

In the multi-billion pound industry known as football, players who can stick the ball in the net are blue-chip assets but what of the much-maligned individuals plying their trade between the sticks?

Considering how important a decent goalkeeper is to any successful team it's a little strange that stoppers rarely seen at the glamour end of the sport. The irony is that even great outfield players will occasionally disappear during games and make mistakes.

If you play in a team full of stars an off day can go unnoticed but if a keeper makes an error it usually results in a goal followed by the sort of abuse usually reserved for the likes of estate agents and traffic wardens.

If you look at the main favourites in Euro 08: Germany [4.9] to win, Spain [6.6], Italy [7.8] and Portugal [8.8] each country has a goalkeeper every bit as impressive as the headline-grabbing-white-slipper-wearing striker at the other end of the pitch.

Germany's Jens Lehmann undeniably has many talents. He blends an ability to start an argument in an empty room with no-nonsense goalkeeping skills. At 38 he's one of the oldest keepers in the tournament but despite playing only 13 games for Arsenal this season his experience will be invaluable. I consider René Adler, Leverkusen's outrageously talented stopper, the best young keeper in Europe but (still awaiting his first senior cap) he undeniably lacks experience.

Italy have the peerless Gianluigi Buffon protecting their goal. Still only 30, Buffon made his international debut aged 19 and has grown in stature ever since. With a superb ability to read the game and awesome shot-stopping skills it's easy to see why many consider him the best keeper at Euro 08.

Spain's Iker Casillas is also a keeper admired the world over. If ever there was a candidate for a goalkeeping superstar it would be him. After winning a Champions League medal, aged 19, he's arguably been the most consistent Galáctico Real Madrid ever selected. and he didn't cost a single Euro. Make no mistake, regardless of the flicks, tricks and step-overs from Robinho and Robin, Casillas is the bankable genius at Madrid. Check out the first save in this sequence and see why Spain's captain is held in such high regard.

With 41 clean sheets in 77 international appearances I rate Casillas the world's best.

There are other talented keepers to watch out for in Euro 08. Ricardo's name should ring a few bells for anyone remembering England's penalty woes against Portugal. The Real Betis keeper may not appear spectacular but he's consistent, part of a well-drilled defence and a fantastic penalty stopper to boot.

Petr Čech's talents are well known in the Premiership and his Herculean efforts in helping the Czech Republic reach the semi-finals in Euro 04 cemented his place among Europe's most valuable keepers. He remains the team most-valued player but needs to put recent injury woes behind him to rekindle his best form.

I'd also add France's Coupet and Holland's van de Sar onto the list of top-notch keeper talent with a special mention to Croatia's Stipe Pletikosa. Nicknamed The Octopus he kept seven clean sheets during qualifying for Euro 08.

With so many quality stoppers at Euro 08 it's hard to predict a goal feast no matter what Michel Platini would like you to believe. Looking at the market for total tournament goals you can back 79 goals or more at [3.0] or 72-78 at [3.35] but the more conservative 0-71 at [2.6] could pay dividends in a tournament featuring so much goalkeeping talent.

Anything over 71 goals requires a goal-to-game average in excess of 2.3 and if that happens it's likely be down to one excellent keeper letting in a hatful of goals. Namely ex-Arsenal, and current Austria keeper, Alex Manninger but which Euro 08 keeper do you rate the highest and why?

Tags: Coupet, Gianluigi Buffon, Iker Casillas, Jens Lehmann, Petr Čech, René Adler, Ricardo, Stipe Pletikosa, van de Sar