Top 20 Goalkeepers from Europe's Top Leagues in 2012-13

Most people don't pay much attention to goalkeepers until they make a spectacular save or let in an absolute howler.

Goalkeeping these days requires much more than just blocking an occasional shot. They must be willing to come off their line to intercept crosses, serve as a safety valve to the back four and start attacks from the back.

Traditionally, stats to evaluate keepers on the whole have been rare. But now, statistics are available in areas such as claiming aerial balls, punching and distribution. Mixed in with traditional stats such as saves, goals allowed and clean sheets, a more complete evaluation of keepers can be made.

With that in mind, here is a ranking of the 20 best goalkeepers from Europe's five major leagues (Premier League, Ligue 1, La Liga, Bundesliga and Serie A) for the 2012-13 season. To be included, goalkeepers must have played in at least 50 percent of their club's matches.

All stats courtesy of Squawka.com.

20. Mark Schwarzer, Fulham

Mark Schwarzer is proof that goalkeepers can still play well even in their 40s.

The Australian international made 3.58 saves per match in his 36 Premier League appearances for Fulham this season. Schwarzer was pretty efficient as well in keeping balls out of his net, making 2.26 saves per goal allowed.

While the 40-year-old may not have the greatest of range anymore, he is sure-handed when he does come for the ball. Schwarzer had a virtual 100 percent record in claiming aerial balls, only failing once the entire season.

19. Kossi Agassa, Reims

You can't put much of the blame for Reims' 14th-place finish in Ligue 1 on Kossi Agassa.

The Togolese international only conceded 1.00 goals per match and stopped 2.94 shots per goal conceded, a save percentage of 74.6 percent.

Agassa also kept 13 clean sheets for Reims in 33 appearances.

18. Oliver Baumann, SC Freiburg

Oliver Baumann was a consistent presence in goal for Freiburg this season, playing in all 34 matches.

The German youth international had one of the better save rates in Europe, stopping 2.37 shots per goal allowed. Baumann also kept 13 clean sheets for Freiburg, who finished fifth in the Bundesliga and will play in the Europa League next season.

At just 22, Baumann has a bright future ahead of him, both for club and country.

17. David De Gea, Manchester United

While David De Gea didn't always have the full faith of Sir Alex Ferguson this season, when given the chance, he performed quite well.

In his 28 matches, the Spanish youth international conceded only 0.86 goals per match and stopped 3.09 shots per goal conceded, the second-best rate in Europe.

De Gea does not catch the ball well on crosses, claiming only 88 percent of balls into the box successfully. That weakness is part of the reason why the 22-year-old only played 28 of 38 matches for the Premier League champions.

16. Jussi Jaaskelainen, West Ham United

What a difference a year made for Jussi Jaaskelainen.

A year after losing the starting job at relegated Bolton Wanderers, Jaaskelainen regained his form and became one of the top keepers in the Premier League this season.

The Finnish international was the busiest keeper in Europe this season, making 3.66 saves per match. The constant action kept Jaaskelainen sharp, as the 38-year-old veteran made 2.67 saves per goal allowed.

Jaaskelainen's age does effect his range. The West Ham keeper made only five successful punches all season, a success rate of just 8 percent.

15. Cedric Carrasso, Brodeaux

Cedric Carrasso was a mainstay in the Bordeaux goal this season, starting all 38 Ligue 1 matches.

The 31-year-old held opponents to under a goal per match, with a 0.89 goals conceded per match rate. Carrasso also kept 17 clean sheets.

The Frenchman does a good job cleaning up opponents' crosses. Carrasso claimed 99 percent of balls into the box, only missing one all season.

14. Christian Abbiati, AC Milan

While Christian Abbiati struggled with minor injuries this season, that didn't effect his performances when he was healthy.

In the 28 matches Abbiati played for AC Milan, the 35-year-old only conceded 0.79 goals per match, keeping 11 clean sheets.

The one thing that stands out about Abbiati's game is his distribution skills. The Italian international completed 76 percent of his distributions, the fourth-best rate in Europe.

13. Mariano Andujar, Calcio Catania

Mariano Andujar doesn't really stand out in any one particular area, but his consistency and well-rounded skills make him one of Europe's best.

The Argentinian posted 12 clean sheets in 34 appearances for Catania, allowing 1.15 goals per match. Andujar made 2.15 saves per match and was successful on 97 percent of his aerial claims.

The 29-year-old has been in competition with Sampdoria's Sergio Romero for the No. 1 shirt for Argentina, and Andujar's performances this season should give him the edge.

12. Joe Hart, Manchester City

Manchester City found their runner-up finish in the Premier League to be a disappointment, and Joe Hart had moments he would like to forget as well.

The England international had some good numbers on the surface. Hart only conceded 0.74 goals per match and kept 18 clean sheets for City.

However, Hart was one of the least busy goalkeepers in Europe, only forced to make 1.18 saves per match. His saves per goal ratio was a very pedestrian 1.41 saves per goal.

Hart had a hard time claiming aerial balls this season as well. The 26-year-old was only successful 87 percent of the time, one of the worst rates among European keepers.

11. Simon Mignolet, Sunderland

There's no way a keeper from lowly Sunderland can rate higher than one from Manchester City, right?

Wrong.

Simon Mignolet may have allowed 1.42 goals per match, but that was a result of the amount of shots he saw flying toward his net.

The Belgian international made 3.26 saves per match and made 2.48 saves per goal allowed, a rate of 71.2 percent.

Mignolet is also one of the better keepers at punching the ball clear to safety. The 25-year-old punched the ball clear on 39 occasions this season with a success rate of 58 percent.

The one flaw in Mignolet's game might be his distribution, as he is only successful 47 percent of the time in that manner. But some of that could be blamed on his teammates.

10. Morgan De Sanctis, Napoli

Considering who is ahead of him on the Italian national team depth chart, it's amazing Morgan De Sanctis earned six caps.

De Sanctis only allowed 0.82 per match and kept 14 clean sheets for the Serie A runners-up. The 36-year-old also distributed the ball pretty well to teammates, successfully completing 68 percent of his passes.

Unfortunately for the Italian, his road to the starting position for Italy has constantly been blocked by Gianluigi Buffon. Buffon is one year De Sanctis' junior, so De Sanctis can't even realistically outlast Buffon.

9. Stephane Ruffier, Saint Etienne

One of the big reasons for Saint Etienne's fifth-place finish in Ligue 1 was the play of Stephane Ruffier.

The 26-year-old held opponents to less than a goal per match with a 0.84 goals-against average while keeping 17 clean sheets.

While Ruffier was only required to make 1.84 saves per match, the Frenchman stopped more than twice as many shots as he let in, with a saves-to-goals ratio of 2.19.

Ruffier is currently the third-choice goalkeeper for the French national team, but he outperformed the current first-choice keeper, Hugo Lloris.

8. Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Borussia Monchengladbach

Marc-Andre ter Stegen represents part of the new ultra-aggressive breed of goalkeepers that will attack and break up threats before they happen.

Ter Stegen was virtually flawless claiming the ball out of the air, only failing once in 111 attempts. The 21-year-old is also one of Europe's best at punching the ball clear, with a success rate of 62 percent.

The 21-year-old did concede 1.38 goals per match, but that is partially due to the amount of action the young keeper saw. Ter Stegen was forced to make 2.71 saves per match and made 2.04 saves per goal allowed.

Despite his youth, ter Stegen has already earned two caps with the German national team and will likely be in contention for the national team for years to come.

7. Steve Mandanda, Olympique Marseille

The current second-choice keeper for France, Steve Mandanda could make a claim for the No. 1 shirt with his play for Ligue 1 runners-up Marseille.

Mandanda played in all 38 matches for Marseille, conceding only 0.95 goals per match. The 28-year-old, who was born in Zaire, also kept 18 clean sheets, the third most of any keeper in Europe.

He also made two saves for every goal he allowed. 

6. Gorka Iraizoz, Athletic Bilbao

Only Jussi Jaaskelainen saw more shots fly toward his net than Gorka Iraizoz.

Iraizoz made 3.59 saves per match in his 35 appearances. While he did concede 1.74 goals per match, his save rate of 2.1 saves per goal indicates it was a result of the amount of action he faced, not his skills as a goalkeeper.

The 32-year-old native of Pamplona is one of the best distributors of the ball in Europe, completing 73 percent of his passes to teammates.

5. Thibaut Courtois, Atletico Madrid

It's hard to find any fault with any of the keepers in the top five.

Thibaut Courtois, who has spent the last two years at Atletico Madrid on loan from Chelsea, is in fierce competition with Simon Mignolet for the No. 1 shirt for Belgium.

At Atletico, Courtois has only missed one game this season, allowing just 0.78 goals per match.

The 21-year-old has stopped 2.62 shots per goal allowed, a rate of 72.3 percent of shots against him. Courtois has kept 20 clean sheets, the second most of any keeper in Europe.

The Belgian was great in claiming aerial balls as well, maintaining a perfect 100 percent record.

4. Petr Cech, Chelsea

The reason why Courtois has been loaned out the past two seasons is the continued excellent play of Petr Cech.

Granted, Cech isn't the busiest keeper in the world. On average, the Chelsea keeper only has to make 1.75 saves per match.

But the 31-year-old did the job when called upon, only allowing 0.83 goals per match while keeping 14 clean sheets in leading the Blues to the Europa League Championship. Cech was also more durable this season, only missing two matches.

Cech seems much older than his 31 years of age suggests. The Czech goalkeeper just completed his ninth season at Chelsea. One wonders how much longer he can hold off Courtois' challenge.

3. Gianluigi Buffon, Juventus

There's a reason why Gianluigi Buffon has been a constant presence in the Juventus and Italy goal for years. His consistency and ability to lead a team from the back line is unmatched.

Buffon is rarely challenged. His 1.34 saves per match is one of the lowest in Europe. That's to be expected on a Juventus squad that won Serie A by nine points.

But when called upon, the 35-year-old is as sharp as ever. Buffon made 2.26 saves per goal allowed and only allowed 0.59 goals per match while keeping 16 clean sheets.

Buffon is the best in Europe at starting an attack from the back. The Italian international successfully completes 85 percent of his distributions, a number most center midfielders would be envious of.

2. Manuel Neuer, Bayern Munchen

Manuel Neuer is considered by many to be the best goalkeeper in Europe, and it would be hard to dispute that.

The German international only allowed 0.58 goals per match and kept 18 clean sheets for the UEFA Champions League winners. Neuer is also very good at distributing the ball, with a success rate of 79 percent.

However, the 27-year-old was made the second-fewest saves of any keeper in Europe, only being required to make 1.29 saves per match. Such is life when you play for a club that ran away with the Bundesliga title by an astounding 25 points.

Playing for such a dominant squad diminishes Neuer's accomplishments just a notch, enough to keep him out of the No. 1 spot.

1. Salvatore Sirigu, Paris Saint-Germain

Yes, Paris Saint-Germain won what some may consider an inferior league by 12 points. So why should Salvatore Sirigu be ranked as the No. 1 keeper in Europe this season?

The numbers the 26-year-old put up are mind blowing.

Sirigu only allowed 0.48 goals per match, which was the best in Europe, and it wasn't because he got to stand in front of his own net and twiddle his thumbs.

The Italian had to make 2.48 saves per match and made 5.86 saves per goal allowed, a rate of 85.4 percent. That percentage was the best in Europe, and almost 10 percent better than David De Gea, who had the second-best percentage. Sirigu also kept 23 clean sheets, which, once again, was the best in Europe.

Sirigu also is a good distributor of the ball, successfully completing 74 percent of his passes.

The Italians appear to have a more-than-capable heir apparent to Gianluigi Buffon when the time comes.