Diogo Costa has made the Portugal number one spot his own - it's up to Patricio and others to snatch it off him

Portugal’s number one jersey has been in the safe hands of Rui Patricio for over a decade now. The undisputed starter. The most capped goalkeeper in the history of the Portugal national team. The expectation of most, even if not the hope of many, was that he was to retain his place in Portugal’s XI heading into the World Cup playoffs. But Fernando Santos shocked the nation as Diogo Costa - at the age of just 22 - was chosen to start both matches, having never even played a competitive fixture for the senior national team prior to the crucial playoff matches.

Costa, undoubtedly, took his chance with both hands, and proved why he has established himself as Porto’s starting goalkeeper ahead of the experienced Marchesin, and why Porto remain unbeaten in the league this season with the second best defensive record in the league.

Granted, he wasn’t tested once against North Macedonia in the playoff final, though his composure on the ball and his general distribution remained top class, while it was his performance against Turkey in the semi-final that really caught the eye.

Again, it must be said that his activity, in terms of shot-stopping, was limited, with Portugal dominating possession and Turkey reduced to half chances for the most part. His tremendous one-handed save down to his left in the first half was exceptional though, the speed to get down that quickly and get such a firm hand on the ball showed his sharpness and agility, which is obviously such a crucial trait for a goalkeeper.

It was his passing, though, that again stood out. His ability to find his man, over both short and long distances, was a sight to behold, and allowed Portugal to build from the back slowly or launch a more direct attacking move, such was the confidence the team had in his kicking capabilities.

Distrbution of the ball was never Rui Patricio’s strong suit. Something of an old-school goalkeeper, Patricio is a reliable and consistent performer, with his shot-stopping ability making him a saviour of the national team on numerous occasion. His statue, dedicated to his Euro 2016 final save against Griezman, is testament to that. Kicking, however, was not an attribute we associate so positively with Patricio though, and the spotlight has increasingly been on this area of his game. Diogo Costa, meanwhile, personified the modern-day goalkeeper with his wider-ranging portfolio of traits, and for Patricio, it’s going to be a real struggle to wrestle back the number one shirt that has been his own for so long.

That’s not to say it’s impossible of course. Should Costa experience a dip in form, suffer injury, or simply be deemed slightly inexperienced to be a World Cup starter, the door opens once again - and there is a group of top class - probably world class - goalkeepers waiting to pounce should the opportunity arise.

Patricio is certainly not guaranteed to even be the second choice at the moment though. Jose Sa, for example, has been one of the very best goalkeepers in the English Premier League this season, with his confident shot-stopping ability added to his excellent distribution making him a bit fo a fan favourite already at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

He, however, is yet to even play a senior game for the national team at the age of 29 - and wasn’t even selected for the 25-man squad initially, much to the surprise of so many Selecao supporters.

Instead, Anthony Lopes, Lyon’s long-serving goalkeeper, was the man to make up the trio alongside Costa and Patricio. And in truth, you can’t deny that he too deserves a place in the squad, and for most other national teams would have earned significantly more caps than the 14 he’s managed for Portugal so far.

Let’s also not forget about the excellent Rui Silva though. Some questioned his move from Granada to Real Betis, suggesting that he deserved a transfer to an even bigger club, but his belief that regular game time is more important than being on the books of a massive club is certainly justified, and he has played a significant role in pushing Betis towards a Champions League place this season.

Lopes, now 31, and Silva, 28, aren’t exactly young keepers anymore though, alongside Jose Sa, which puts Diogo Costa in prime position to become Portugal’s undisputed starter over the next decade as he bids to eclipse the brilliant Rui Patricio.