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Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu has written himself into Bundesliga history after saving his fifth consecutive penalty in the league during his side’s 3-0 win over Werder Bremen, Footynaija.com reports.
The 23-year-old denied Romano Schmid from the spot in the 59th minute, preserving Freiburg’s two-goal cushion and securing a clean sheet. The stop wasn’t just decisive on the day, it set a new Bundesliga record for consecutive penalties saved.
Atubolu’s run has come against some of the division’s biggest names.
The German youth international has already denied former Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz, Union Berlin duo Kevin Volland and Josip Juranović, and Bremen’s André Silva earlier this year. With each save, Atubolu has nurtured his reputation as one of Europe’s most reliable penalty specialists.
Calm under pressure and increasingly commanding in his area, Atubolu is quickly becoming a central figure for Christian Streich’s side.
Born in Freiburg to a German mother and Nigerian father, he has represented Germany at every youth level from U17 to U21. In 2019, he was provisionally tied to Germany after starting against Austria at the U17 Euros.
His dual eligibility has drawn interest from the Nigeria Football Federation, though former Super Eagles coach José Peseiro admitted last year it would be difficult to convince the goalkeeper to turn away from Germany. On current evidence, Die Mannschaft may soon come calling at senior level.
While Nigeria currently boast the talents of Maduka Okoye and Stanley Nwabali, the addition of Atubolu would have further raised the level of the Super Eagles’ goalkeeping department.
