Barcelona’s Ilkay Gundogan has commended Stefan Ortega, the reserve goalkeeper for Manchester City, as the most undervalued goalkeeper globally.
Since Ederson Moraes was injured in a league match against Liverpool, resulting in a 1-1 draw last month, Ortega has been receiving a significant amount of playing time.
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He was featured in the starting lineup for the recent game against Crystal Palace on April 6.
The 31-year-old German goalkeeper vindicated his selection by accomplishing two saves and seven recoveries, along with an impressive 86% completion rate of his 29 passes.
His performance was particularly notable in the 43rd minute of the match, which was evenly poised at 1-1.
Despite a challenging backpass from Rodri and the looming threat of Jean-Philippe Mateta ready for a tap-in, Ortega displayed quick thinking and agility to perform a Cruyff turn, successfully outmaneuvering the French striker.
Replying to a video of Ortega’s turn in Man Cit’s 4-2 win over Crystal Palace, Gundogan, who joined Barcelona as a free agent from City last summer, wrote on X: “The most underrated goalkeeper in the world #baller.”
Rico Lewis netted a goal shortly after the second half commenced, followed by strikes from Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, propelling their team to a commanding 4-1 advantage.
Odsonne Edouard’s goal in the 86th minute served merely as a consolation for the Eagles on their home turf.
