UEFA Champions League: Most clean sheets

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson once said that 'attack wins you games; defence wins you titles'. A similar adage is often quoted in the NFL, that 'offense sells tickets; defence wins games'.

That has often been the case in the UEFA Champions League with the best defences often backed up by world class goalkeepers.

Indeed, Manuel Neuer, Alisson, Ederson and Thibaut Courtois - four modern goalkeeping greats - have all won European football's most coveted prize and will likely all end their careers in the top 10 for most clean sheets in the competition.

Here are the four goalkeepers with 50 or more UEFA Champions League clean sheets.

• Goalkeepers to have scored in the UEFA Champions League

Manuel Neuer - 60

Starting his career at Schalke, Manuel Neuer propelled himself into the spotlight in his side's 2011 UEFA Champions League semi-final with Manchester United.

Although the hosts lost the first leg 2-0, Neuer was utterly magnificent that night and soon earned a move to Bayern Munich.

In eight different seasons, Neuer has made 10 or more appearances in the UEFA Champions League and as you can imagine, the clean sheets have racked up.

Neuer overtook Iker Casillas with the most UEFA Champions League clean sheets and it's a record that will take some beating.

Iker Casillas - 57

Arguably the best goalkeeper in UEFA Champions League history, Iker Casillas is the youngest goalkeeper to have played in a UEFA Champions League final as a teenager, and having lost his place with Real Madrid early in his career, came off the bench to play a crucial role as Los Blancos beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 in 2002.

After 16 years in the Spanish capital, Casillas moved to Porto, adding to his clean sheet haul and finishing with 57.

Gianluigi Buffon - 52

The ageless Gianluigi Buffon made a handful of UEFA Champions League appearances with Parma before his record-breaking move to Juventus, where he would spend nearly 20 years.

Although he would make three finals, a winners' medal eluded the Italian, though he does still rank third in terms of clean sheets in the competition.

Edwin van der Sar - 50

After making his name with the great Ajax team of the mid-1990s, winning the UEFA Champions League in 1995, Edwin van der Sar joined Italian giants Juventus.

The move didn't work out as hoped, resulting in a switch to Fulham after just two years in Turin, but impressive performances in West London saw Van der Sar move to Old Trafford where he would play UEFA Champions League football once more.

Spending a number of years trying to replace the legendary Peter Schmeichel, Manchester United finally found the heir to the throne in the Dutchman, who'd save the winning penalty of the 2008 UEFA Champions League final shoot-out against Chelsea.

Stats correct as of 28th November 2024. Qualifying games excluded.

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