Emil Nielsen tops Champions League goalkeeper rankings

Barcelona goalkeeper Emil Nielsen finished the season as the most efficient shot-stopper in the Champions League, capping off a title-winning campaign with the competition’s best save percentage.

Barcelona’s Champions League triumph was built on many factors, but Emil Nielsen’s performances between the posts were among the most important.

The Danish goalkeeper ended the season with a save percentage of 34.43%, the highest among all goalkeepers in the competition.

Nielsen saved some of his best performances for the biggest stage. During the Final Four in Cologne, he played a crucial role in Barcelona’s semifinal victory over Aalborg before winning the goalkeeper duel against Dejan Milosavljev in the final against Füchse Berlin.

Nantes goalkeeper Ignacio Garcia finished second with 31.11%, while Swedish international Mikael Appelgren secured third place after an impressive season with One Veszprém.

Several of Europe’s most experienced goalkeepers also featured in the top ten, including Niklas Landin, Roland Mikler, and Klemen Ferlin.

PlayerClubSave percentage
Emil NielsenBarca34,43
Ignacio GarciaNantes31,11
Mikael AppelgrenOne Veszprem29,48
Klemen FerlinIndustria Kielce29,12
Dejan MilosavljevFüchse Berlin29,05
Sergey HernandezSC Magdeburg28,57
Ciprian IancuDinamo Bukarest28,44
Matej MandicSC Magdeburg28,05
Roland MiklerPICK Szeged27,32
Niklas LandinAalborg Håndbold27,25