Numbers prove Barcelona must trust their veteran even if it means overlooking youth | OneFootball

Wojciech Szczesny’s resurgence at Barcelona has significantly benefited the team, proving to be an excellent decision for the club. However, one player who has been impacted negatively by his rise is Inaki Pena, who has found himself pushed further down the pecking order.

Right now, Szczesny is performing at a level reminiscent of his best years as a goalkeeper. During his time at Juventus, Arsenal, and Roma, he was a dominant presence between the posts, and he has now brought that same level of confidence and reliability to Barcelona.

Under Hansi Flick, the stopper has not only maintained his well-known strengths—such as leadership, composure, and his ability to make crucial saves—but has also improved in key areas, particularly in his ability to come off his line effectively.

A look at the stats

Hansi Flick’s first choice is Wojciech Szczesny. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

Since arriving at Barça, Szczesny has played in nine matches across all competitions. Interestingly, he has conceded the same number of goals—nine in total.

Over these nine appearances, he has spent 776 minutes on the pitch, which averages to conceding one goal every 86.2 minutes. This statistic slightly betters his overall career average, indicating that he has settled in well at his new club.

Another key metric that goalkeepers are judged by is their ability to keep clean sheets, and Szczesny has already demonstrated his prowess in this regard.

Over the course of his club career, he has managed 212 clean sheets in 560 matches, equating to an impressive 37.8% of his games.

At Barcelona, he has managed to go one step further. Out of the nine matches he has played so far, he has prevented the opposition from scoring on four occasions.

These matches include clashes against Barbastro and Valencia in the Copa del Rey, Athletic Club in the Spanish Super Cup, and Alaves in La Liga. This gives him a clean sheet percentage of 44.4%, which is a noticeable improvement from his career average.

Should he manage to keep Rayo Vallecano from scoring in the upcoming match, this percentage will rise to an even more remarkable 50%.

The story is quite interesting

Wojciech Szczesny has performed brilliantly. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

It is also important to note that of the nine goals he has conceded, four came in a single match during Barcelona’s high-scoring Champions League encounter against Benfica, which ended in a dramatic 4-5 defeat.

This means that in the other eight matches combined, he has let in only five goals, further highlighting his impressive performances.

When compared to Pena’s numbers this season, Szczesny’s impact is even clearer. Pena has conceded 25 goals across 22 appearances, which results in an average of 1.13 goals per game.

In contrast, Szczesny’s average is significantly lower. Additionally, Pena has managed to keep clean sheets in just six of those 22 matches, translating to a percentage of 27.2%—far below Szczesny’s 44.4% at Barcelona so far.

Szczesny’s arrival has not only strengthened Barcelona’s goalkeeping department but has also given the team a sense of security at the back. With his wealth of experience, strong reflexes, and ability to perform under pressure, he is proving to be a vital asset.

If he continues on this trajectory, he could continue beyond his current contract, making it even more difficult for Pena to reclaim his spot in the team.