Keylor Navas is our dude. We love him. We support him. We cheer for him in the best and worst of times, in the face of naysayers, wherever, whenever. Madridista or not, you gotta feel for the guy.
That’s why we couldn’t be more psyched to watch him become the first Real Madrid goalkeeper since 1975 to keep three consecutive clean sheets at the start of the Liga season when the equipo madrileño visits Espanyol this Saturday.
Madrid’s disillusioning season opener ended in a 0-0 deadlock vs. newly-promoted Sporting de Gijón (thanks Keylor), but the squad followed up with a much more convincing 5-0 goleada in the segunda jornada at home against Real Betis (which included that penalty save).
Navas is a monster between the posts, so we’re pretty damn confident that despite the never-ending goalkeeper debacle plaguing all aspects of life at Santiago Bernabéu, he’ll get the job done this weekend. After all, this is the kind of form he’s been in recently.
The last time a goalkeeper was able to amass a similar consecutive clean sheet record for Madrid was in 1975, when Miguel Ángel started his league-winning campaign with five goose eggs. Ángel went on to win the Zamora trophy for best goalkeeper that year.
Could this be a sign? Could Navas defy all odds and have a truly sensational breakout season, despite being treated like garbage?
Miguel Ángel commented on the situation in today’s issue of Marca, stating that “Navas has to forget the unpleasant situation he has experienced” and instead take it “as a challenge.”