Pep Guardiola may have rested some of his starters over the weekend ahead of Manchester City's Champions League quarterfinal clash with Real Madrid, but while someone like Phil Foden might slot right back into the lineup come Tuesday, City's choice in goal for the high-stakes matchup is less clear.
City have been without Ederson for the better part of a month with a muscle injury, but the shot stopper was amongst the substitutes on Saturday during the team's 4-2 win over Crystal Palace. Ederson has traveled with the squad to Madrid, but Guardiola admitted after the victory over Palace that he has not made a decision between the Brazilian and his understudy, Stefan Ortega.
"I have to think about it because [Ederson] is coming back from [being] injured," Guardiola said, per Manchester City's website. "He feels good, I think so. Now I have to decide if [he has] a lack of rhythm. I have to decide but we are really pleased from Stefan. He's an exceptional 'keeper."
As Guardiola contemplates which goalkeeper to go with ahead of the most anticipated tie of the Champions League quarterfinals, here's a look at Ortega's showing during Ederson's spell on the sidelines -- and the attributes the Brazilian brings when he's in the goal.
Golazo Starting XI Newsletter
Get your Soccer Fix from Around the Globe
Your ultimate guide to the Beautiful Game as our experts take you beyond the pitch and around the globe with news that matters.
Thanks for signing up!
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Sorry!
There was an error processing your subscription.
Ortega's varied schedule
Ortega has played 12 games across the league, Champions League and FA Cup this season, both on days where Ederson was rested and during his spell with an injury. It means that the understudy was usually assigned some of the easier games on City's schedule, like a 3-2 win over Crvena Zvezda in the Champions League group stage or a 5-0 win over Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup.
It means that some of Ortega's numbers are fairly flattering -- he averages 2.44 saves a game this season, more than Ederson's 1.52 and has a 70% save record compared to Ederson's 63.4%. Ortega also averages 6.44 shots against per game, a little better than Ederson's 6.77.
The German goalkeeper, though, had to fill in for Ederson for two of City's biggest games of the season in the last month -- their 1-1 draw with Liverpool, a 0-0 result with Arsenal and a 4-1 win over Aston Villa. He made two saves against Arsenal and Villa and outperformed his average with four stops against Liverpool, posting a 100% saves record against the Reds as City conceded 1.35 expected goals against -- more than Ortega's average of 0.91.
Ederson's overall dominance
The fact that Ortega has faced a wide variety of opponents reflects Ederson's record, who was Guardiola's choice almost regardless of the team on the other side of the pitch. The Brazilian did get the lion's share of games against top-tier opposition, which is why he might be behind Ortega in terms of saves per game and save percentage. Ederson's body of work, though, points to City being a stronger defensive unit with him in the lineup than without him.
Ederson averages 0.86 goals against with him in the team, while that figure stands at 0.96 for Ortega. The Brazilian posts 0.79 expected goals against per game, a number that shoots up to 0.91 when Ortega's in goal. Ederson also faces 2.41 shots on goal against per 90 minutes while Ortega has had to deal with 3.36 shots on goal against.
Guardiola's main argument against Ederson, for the time being, seems to be a lack of match fitness, which could be costly as City aim to successfully defend their title. A re-introduction on Saturday against relegation battlers Luton Town might be a safer approach, especially considering the team's fairly easy remaining league schedule. If Ederson appears ready, though, he might provide a boost for a City back line missing the likes of Kyle Walker and Nathan Ake -- and one that has to face a star-studded group of goalscorers in Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham.
