No one can doubt the talent of Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas, and his time at Newell’s Old Boys has been a positive chapter in his career after spending some time without a club.

Last weekend, he faced Boca Juniors and reunited with an old rival, once again proving his dominance when it comes to penalty saves. Yes, Edinson Cavani has suffered at the hands of Keylor before—so much so that we could call him his "kryptonite."

Cavani vs. Keylor Navas: A One-Sided Rivalry

The two have now faced each other eight times, dating back to their clashes in PSG vs. Real Madrid matchups and even the historic 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where Costa Rica stunned the world. Unfortunately for Cavani, in every encounter, Navas has come out on top.

In their most recent duel, the Costa Rican not only kept a clean sheet but also saw Cavani miss a crucial penalty. The Uruguayan aimed for the bottom right corner with a strong, curled shot, but the ball struck the post. Rodrigo Battaglia pounced on the rebound, but his shot hit Navas, who managed to clear it before celebrating with a clenched fist.

Their First Battle: The 2014 World Cup

The rivalry began on the biggest stage—at the 2014 World Cup during the group stage. Costa Rica shocked Uruguay with a 3-1 victory. Cavani scored his team's only goal, but Navas was the standout performer.

Later that year, in November, they met again in a friendly. The match ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw (with another Cavani goal), but Costa Rica won on penalties.

Champions League Clashes

Their next meetings came in the Champions League. In the 2015/16 season, within Group A, Real Madrid and PSG played to a goalless draw in the first leg, while Madrid edged out a 1-0 win in the return fixture.

In the 2017/18 season, they met again in the quarterfinals, where Real Madrid eliminated PSG with two victories: 3-1 in the first leg and 2-1 in the second, with Cavani finding the net once.

The seventh encounter happened during the Champions League group stage in December 2020, marking their last meeting before the recent Newell’s vs. Boca clash. By then, Navas had joined PSG, and Cavani was playing for Manchester United. Once again, the goalkeeper’s team emerged victorious, winning 3-1.