Noah Atubolu speaks on extending Bundesliga penalty save record

Noah Atubolu speaks on extending Bundesliga penalty save record Eintracht Frankfurt goalkeeper Noah Atubolu added another extraordinary chapter to his Bundesliga penalty-saving record during Saturday’s 3-1 away win over Mainz 05. Atubolu denied Nadiem Amiri from eleven meters shortly before halftime, becoming the first goalkeeper in Bundesliga history to save six consecutive penalties. The 24-year-old had already established the record at five during his time with SC Freiburg. The first penalty he faced as a Frankfurt player extended the sequence even further. More importantly for his new club, Saturday’s intervention came at a decisive moment. Frankfurt led 1-0 when Raphael Onyedika conceded the spot-kick against Sheraldo Becker. Amiri entered the duel having converted his previous ten penalties and had an opportunity to restore parity shortly before the break. Atubolu guessed correctly. Three minutes later, Jonathan Burkardt scored against his former club to make it 2-0. Noah Atubolu extends his own Bundesliga record Atubolu’s reputation from eleven meters was established long before his summer move from Freiburg to Frankfurt. GGFN documented the goalkeeper’s growing reputation as Freiburg’s “penalty killer” after he denied André Silva during a Bundesliga victory over Werder Bremen in February 2025. That save followed successful stops against Florian Wirtz, Kevin Volland and Josip Juranovic and brought Atubolu level with the Bundesliga record of four consecutive penalties saved. The same opponent eventually provided the setting for history several months later. When Freiburg returned to Bremen in September 2025, Atubolu denied Romano Schmid from the spot to become the first Bundesliga goalkeeper ever to save five consecutive penalties. GGFN covered the record-breaking save and Vincenzo Grifo’s colorful praise for his Freiburg teammate . Bernd Leno, Frank Rost, Jörg Butt and Thomas Zander had previously managed four consecutive Bundesliga penalty saves. Atubolu now stands two clear of that group. His knack for stopping penalties also survived beyond domestic competition. GGFN covered another Atubolu penalty save during Freiburg’s Europa League semi-final against Braga last season , when he produced an excellent stop to deny Rodrigo Zalazar. The Bundesliga sequence itself, however, remained intact. Until Saturday, Atubolu simply had not faced another league penalty. Familiar opponent cannot beat Atubolu The Frankfurt keeper also possessed some familiarity with the player standing twelve yards away in Mainz. Atubolu explained afterward that he and Amiri know each other from the German national-team setup. “He was very correct, then it was difficult for me to really try to unsettle him,” Atubolu told DAZN . “I tried it a little, but we know each other from the national team. I was simply convinced in myself and trusted my abilities and then, thank God, it worked out quite well.” Amiri’s failure ended a run of ten consecutive converted penalties. Atubolu’s run continued. Hütter repeatedly returned to the same moment when assessing how the afternoon turned. “The turning point was Atubolu’s save,” Hütter emphasized at the post-match press conference. When one considers how close Atubolu was to a Premier League move this summer , it’s rather interesting to reflect on the fact that he’s received an unexpected chance to extend his Bundesliga streak. Atubolu’s Bundesliga penalty record has now followed him from the Black Forest to the RheinMain Metropolis. GGFN  |  Peter Weis