Nadiem Amiri had scored his last 10 penalties. Noah Atubolu had saved the last five he had faced in the Bundesliga. Then, the Mainz midfielder stepped up to take a 43rd-minute spotkick in Saturday's Rhine-Main derby.
Mainz were trailing Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 when Nigeria international Raphael Onyedika brought down Sheraldo Becker from behind shortly before half-time.
Amiri, typically so unfazed from 12 yards, stepped up with the opportunity to restore parity, but the German-Nigerian stopper had other ideas.
There was even a little psychological warfare before the kick as well, with Amiri -- who knows Atubolu from Germany's youth setup -- acknowledging that the 24-year-old attempted to psych him out before he stepped up
Whether Atubolu did use mind games or not to give himself the edge, the result was a fine block that extended his historic saving streak and sent Eintracht Frankfurt on their way to victory.
Head coach Adi Hutter later described Atubolu's save as "definitely the turning point" as the visitors went on to double their lead through Jonathan Burkardt moments after Atubolu's save.
Can Uzun added his second on the hour mark as Eintracht ran out 3-1 winners to secure their first victory of the new season.
Six of the best
While the save in the context of gameweek three kept Frankfurt on track for three valuable points, it extended his remarkable run of penalties saved in the Bundesliga to six consecutive spotkicks.
It's unprecedented for a goalkeeper in the competition's history -- which stretches back to 1963 -- with Atubolu not being beaten from the spot since May 2024.
It began on the final day of the 23-24 season, when Freiburg twice conceded penalties against Union Berlin, with Atubolu first denying Josip Juranovic and then blocking Kevin Volland's effort.
In 24-25, he stopped Florian Wirtz, now of Liverpool, then with Bayer Leverkusen, in December, before thwarting André Silva of Werder Bremen two months later. Romano Schmid's spotkick was saved in September 2025, at which point he became the first goalkeeper in the Bundesliga to save five penalties in a row.
It's been a year since he's been tested again in the top flight, but Amiri -- himself boasting such a fine record from the spot, having not failed to score since February 2024 -- was to become the latest player to fall short.
To find a player who last converted a penalty against Atubolu, you have to go all the way back to January 2024, and Marvin Ducksch of Werder Bremen.
The Germany international is one of only three players to have ever beaten the keeper from the spot in the German top flight, with Atubolu currently boasting a 66.7-percent success rate in saving Bundesliga penalties.
For context, no goalkeeper who has ever faced at least three spotkicks in the division has a better percentage save rate.
Atubolu's consistency in saving penalties makes a mockery of suggestions that spotkicks are 'lotteries', with the Frankfurt man clearly giving his side an advantage in such scenarios.
"Penalties are a huge mental game," Atubolu said in March 2025, when his penalty saving first began to draw national attention. "Nowadays, it seems like penalties are actually harder to score, players are missing more and more.
"I'm happy to have the nickname 'Penalty Killer' because that's where the psychological battle starts," he added. "Strikers definitely know about it, they study me, just like I study them.
"I have a few tricks I use and, so far, they've worked well. If you've got a goalkeeper in front of you making a big show, lots of movement, it gets into your head, but the mind games start way earlier than that - you just don't see those."
While his impressive authority from the penalty spot has again got people talking about the Freiburg-born stopper, it would be unfair to reduce him to purely a specialist in this area of a goalkeeper's trade.
In 24-25, he went 609 minutes in the Bundesliga without conceding -- at the time, Bundesliga goalkeepers had only pulled off 10 longer streaks without letting in a goal in the top flight -- setting a Freiburg club record in the process.
His 6'3 frame gives him authority and presence, his reflexes and agility allow him to pull off saves that might evade other keepers, while his comfort in possession gives him the grounding to establish himself as one of the most well-rounded guardians in Europe.
Atubolu in line for Germany call-up?
Previously an outfield player younger in his career, Atubolu relishes being involved in the build-up, and seeks opportunities to get involved when Eintracht have possession.
Manuel Neuer, arguably the finest of his generation of goalkeepers at playing with his feet, has been identified on several occasions by Atubolu as one of his heroes, with the stopper acknowledging last year how he studies the veteran's approach to training, in-game performances, and the details of his performances.
After playing in Freiburg's second team, Atubolu made his full debut for his hometown club in 22-23, before establishing himself as their number one -- and making his Bundesliga debut -- in 23-24 after replacing Mark Flekken.
Freiburg kept faith, despite some early growing pains, and Atubolu has developed into one of the league's most intriguing keeper prospects.
This offseason, things reached a crossroads, however, with the German-Nigerian keeper appearing to indicate that he was ready for a fresh challenge, and Mio Backhaus being recruited from Werder Bremen to add goalkeeping competition.
After spending pre-season away from the first-team, he was offered a loan move to Frankfurt. It wasn't exactly the high-profile transfer Atubolu surely expected, amidst links to Juventus, Napoli and Marseille, with Eintracht finishing three points below Freiburg last season, but it at least offered the 24-year-old the chance to test himself in a new environment.
It's looking increasingly likely that the stopper, who registered 22 caps for Germany's U-21s, is on the brink of another call-up for the national side, with Jurgen Klopp understood to be considering the keeper for his first squad ahead of the September internationals.
Despite being uncapped, he already has a decent pedigree, having helped Germany to the final of the U-21 Euros last year, where they were ultimately defeated by England after extra time.
In that tournament, he surpassed Neuer's record for appearances for the U-21s, and received two call-ups last year, although has been made to wait to make an international debut, and was not included in Germany's World Cup squad.
Klopp has plenty of options to succeed Neuer and Oliver Baumann long term, but none of Alexander Nübel, Jonas Urban and Finn Dahmen have distinguished themselves clearly as the 'answer' to Germany's goalkeeping future. Even Marc-André ter Stegen, at 34, could still have another major tournament or two in him.
Yet Atubolu is surely a contender, and Klopp, watching on at Mainz-Frankfurt, will have been impressed with what he saw.
Could Nigeria snag him?
Nigeria appear set to miss out on another tantalising talent to Europe, and while Atubolu, who was raised and forged as a man and a goalkeeper within the German ecosystem, had long appeared destined for the Mannschaft, local reports suggested in 2020 that he'd been targeted by the NFF.
Until he makes his competitive debut for Germany, Nigeria will harbour some tiny hope that he may yet choose the land of his father.
Their interest is understandable, with Nigeria themselves knowing a thing or two about having to replace a long-standing No. 1.
Ever since the retirement of Vincent Enyeama -- who knew a thing or two about racking up consecutive clean sheets in domestic football -- the Super Eagles have struggled to replace him emphatically and reassuringly.
Carl Ikeme, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Daniel Akpeyi, Francis Uzoho, Maduka Okoye and Stanley Nwabali have all looked -- for momentary glimpses, perhaps -- like the answer, without ever measuring that they can truly consolidate themselves as Enyeama's successor.
Former Arsenal youngster, Arthur Okonkwo, is the next contender to attempt to secure his position between the sticks, and should have another opportunity during the September Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, but is not yet as accomplished as Atubolu.
The Frankfurt keeper has his work cut out to establish himself as Germany's No. 1, but performances such as his showing against Mainz on Saturday -- as well as his eye-catching penalty record -- are giving him a decent shot of being a prominent figure during the Klopp era.
Nigeria know how difficult it can be to replace a long-standing No. 1, and Germany, with Neuer a fading force for several years, experiencing the same problem.
Atubolu, standing proud, confident between the sticks, another trick up his sleeve to block the next penalty, could feasibly be the answer for either.