On February 22nd and March 14th, two titans of the goalkeeping position will clash in their final duel at the highest level of the game. Perhaps we shouldn’t ever write-off the possibility of the 35-year-old Iker Casillas and the 39-year-old Gianluigi Buffon encountering each other on the pitch again, but we should be exceptionally grateful for at least one last bout.
The two goalkeepers have written much of the history of football themselves over the last twenty years, coming up against one another in the 2014-15 and 2002-03 Champions League semifinals, the Euro 2008 quarterfinals and the Euro 2012 Final.
While Buffon has remarkably retained his place as the No. 1 for both Juventus and Italy, the probability of the two meeting following that 2014-15 Champions League semifinal seemed unlikely after Real Madrid president Florentino Perez acrimoniously showed Casillas the door.
Some high profile mistakes for Casillas during his debut season with FC Porto were compounded by the loss of his starting position to David de Gea with the national team.
But the 2016-17 season has seen a return to form for Saint Iker. Porto, who haven’t won the Primeira Liga since 2012-13, are trailing Benfica by only a single point in the table.
Last Saturday, Casillas made one of the best saves of his career to ensure a 2-1 victory over third-place Sporting.
Casillas with an UNBELIEVABLE match winning save for Porto in a top of the table clash!!! pic.twitter.com/r0e1nC5Ezn
— Saoud (@AlMannai_S) February 4, 2017
This Champions League round of 16 tie against Juventus is nothing short of footballing romance. Two legends of the game, two of the greatest of all time at the position, in one final series evoking twenty years of football’s best memories.
@IkerCasillas @ChampionsLeague I don't choose. We are the best
— Gianluigi Buffon (@gianluigibuffon) January 25, 2017
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