Marc-André ter Stegen, one of the most reliable goalkeepers in LaLiga, faces a constant challenge in the Champions League: his inability to replicate his solidity in Europe's top competition. Despite being crucial to Barcelona's domestic success, where he has won the Zamora trophy, Ter Stegen averages 1.16 goals conceded per game in the Champions League. This statistic highlights his struggle to keep a clean sheet on the continental stage.

The start of the 2023-2024 campaign has been no different for the German. In the opening group stage match against Monaco, Ter Stegen conceded two goals and made a crucial mistake that led to Eric García's red card. This adds to a worrying streak of seven consecutive Champions League matches without a clean sheet.

Looking back, Ter Stegen's Champions League statistics are not encouraging. In the previous season (2022-2023), he conceded goals in every match he played, totaling 10 goals against. In the 2021-2022 season, while he managed to keep his net clean twice, he still conceded 11 goals in the group stage, contributing to Barcelona's early elimination and drop to the Europa League.

Despite his excellence in LaLiga, where he has been a fortress for Barcelona, Ter Stegen has yet to translate that consistency to the European scene. With the Catalan club aiming to regain their glory in the Champions League, the need for Ter Stegen to elevate his performance in this competition has never been more urgent.