Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen on el clasico: 'Last year Sergio Ramos's goal really annoyed me'

Ter Stegen is in the form of his life as he prepares to face Real Madrid's formidable strike force in Saturday's el clasico

Ter Stegen has added exceptional shot-stopping to his skilled footwork (Getty)

Barcelona’s goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is ready to face the challenge of stopping Real Madrid’s attacking firepower in Saturday’s clasico.

The German is full of confidence following an impressive start to the season but admits that the memory of last year’s match against los Blancos still leaves a bad taste. “Last year Sergio Ramos’s goal really annoyed me, when he scored in 89th minute,” said the goalkeeper in an interview with Spanish newspaper El Pais.

This Saturday he will have to face Real once more, and talked up their qualities despite the recent wayward finishing of the Real Madrid forwards. “The two teams facing each other are perhaps the best in La Liga and the world. We already know who we will have up front, and we must be aware of their attack, and of all of them… But also of our way of playing, that’s how we usually have the best chance of winning,” explained Ter Stegen.

In the summer the teams met and Real Madrid won the two matches convincingly. However, since then Barcelona have improved their performance beyond recognition while Real have fallen away sharply.

In Ter Stegen’s opinion, the media's negativity may have had a slight influence in their upturn. “Maybe the press didn’t want us to have a good season. I don’t know. But after losing that title, we knew we had to work harder and all push in the same direction under Valverde, who I think has already left his mark on the team.”

Ter Stegen is enjoying one of his best seasons: he has only conceded 13 goals in 23 matches. He has always been exceptional with his feet but this season he has improved his performance with some unbelievable stop-stopping.

Moreover, Manuel Neuer’s injury has taken Ter Stegen into pole position among the German goalkeepers – with the 2018 World Cup just around the corner.