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Positioning is arguably the most essential skill for a goalkeeper, along with his footwork. Most goalies often pride themselves on a good solid catch rather than a stunning diving save, which pleases the spectators. Ideally, every goalkeeper should try to position their body behind the ball, and that can only happen if he is in a good starting position to begin with.
Goalkeepers have to constantly make adjustments to their position corresponding to the position of the ball on the pitch. They are expected to make these subtle and constant adjustments even when the ball is at the other end of the pitch.
On that note, here's a look at the five goalkeepers with the best positioning in world football right now.
#5 Samir Handanovic
Even at 37, the Inter Milan shot-stopper is one of the best in his position as Samir Handanovic notched up the joint-highest clean sheets (14) in the 2020-21 Serie A season.
The Slovenian played a pivotal role in Inter Milan's glorious Serie A campaign last season, conceding the fewest goals in the domestic season. In 37 Serie A appearances, Handanovic conceded just 33 goals at an average of 0.89 goals per match.
One of the key contributors to Handanovic's success over the years has been his positioning between the sticks. The 37-year-old is a good reader of the game, and can make himself big by blocking out goalscoring angles.
Handanovic has already registered a clean sheet in his first appearance of the 2021-22 season, and will likely play an indispensable role in the Nerazzurri's title defence.
#4 Gianluigi Donnarumma
Euro 2020's Player of the Tournament, Gianluigi Donnarumma, is undoubtedly a generational talent between the sticks.
The 6' 5" giant makes excellent use of his physical presence, and often manages to position himself close to the trajectory of a shot. That allows him to pull off stunning saves from open play, and he has a good record in one-on-one situations.
Like most great goalkeepers, Donnarumma can block out goalscoring angles, making use of his big frame to keep out attempts on his goal.
Along with Handanovic, Donnarumma registered the most clean sheets (14) in the 2020-21 Serie A season. The Italian goalkeeper conceded just four goals in 7 appearances at Euro 2020 and also kept three clean sheets in the process
Donnarumma has saved 18 of the 53 penalties he has faced since his debut with AC Milan in 2015. He maintains a 100% success rate in the five penalty shootouts he has been a part of for club and country. The 22-year old is one of, if not the best goalkeeper in world football right now.
#3 Manuel Neuer
Even in the twilight stage of his career, Manuel Neuer remains one of the best goalkeepers in world football. The German enjoyed a long run as the undisputed #1 among his peers, and still produces consistent performances due to his mastery of the art form over the years.
Neuer pioneered the 'sweeper-keeper' role in modern football, playing just a few meters behind his centre-halves. The now-35-year-old was constantly involved in the process of playing out from the back, and would sometimes stroll to the middle of the park even under pressure from opposition players.
Neuer is arguably the greatest ball-playing goalkeeper of all time, and epitomises the famous adage of goalkeepers being 'the last line of defence and the first line of attack'. The German could only do this because of his stellar positioning and awareness of his goal post at all times. He can often be seen charging from the goal line to proactively interrupt opposition attacks.
The two-time Champions League winner likes to stay as close as possible behind his centre-halves. That is because he can then better control the space behind the backline. Manuel Neuer will go down as one of the greatest goalkeepers in footballing history.
#2 Alisson Becker
The Brazilian is undoubtedly one of the best shot-stoppers in the world game, growing from strength to strength since his €62.5 million to Liverpool.
Alisson Becker was already counted among the most talented goalkeepers of the current era, but has established his status as one of the very best during his three-year spell at Anfield. He's already a Champions League and Premier League winner in his relatively young Reds' career, and has not been a bystander in their success by any means.
Along with Virgil Van Dijk, Alisson was the missing piece of the puzzle in Jurgen Klopp's side, and both have been pivotal in Liverpool's sensational defensive record over the past few years. The now-28-year-old notched up 21 clean sheets in his debut Premier League season, along with six assists in Liverpool's glorious 2018-19 Champions League triumph.
Alisson conceded just 23 goals in Liverpool's 2019-20 Premier League-winning campaign, keeping 15 clean sheets. A significant contributor to Alisson's success in goal has been his positioning, as he stays close to his goalline, and also has the physical presence to take command of his six-yard box.
#1 Jan Oblak
Jan Oblak is undoubtedly the best goalkeeper in world football currently, when it comes to positioning.
In an interview with Guillem Balague for BBC Sport, Oblak revealed the art of goalkeeping:
"The most important thing for a goalkeeper is the position he is in because if you are in a good position, have the right body posture and a cool head then many times you don't have to have extraordinary reactions to stop the ball."
He added:
"Often you make a catch that looks easy, but you are proud of it because you were in the right place at the right time."
Oblak lives by his words on the football pitch as well, using his physical presence and impeccable positioning to be at the right place at the right time. In 305 appearances for Atletico Madrid, the Slovenian has racked up a tally of 160 clean sheets.
The 28-year-old has also mastered various footwork techniques involved with goalkeeping - bounding, shuffling and crossover stepping, among others. Jan Oblak has won the prestigious Zamora trophy five times in his decade-long career. The Zamora trophy is awarded to the La Liga goalkeeper with the fewest goals conceded during the season.
