Different goalkeeper, same result
Again. For the second season in a row, Paris Saint-Germain leaves Liverpool out of the Champions League. And again, the goalkeeper is the great figure.
Last year it was Gianluigi Donnarumma with his penalty saves. This time, in the rain at Anfield, it was Matvei Safonov’s turn to shine.
The Russian made a pure reflex save in the first half that left everyone speechless. Then, when Liverpool pressed, looking to overcome the 2-0 deficit in the first leg, he was the wall that stopped their momentum.
“It was Safonov who stopped Liverpool’s momentum.”
The winning goals (2-0) came at the end, in a counterattack, the work of Dembélé. But he laid the foundation.
The substitute’s opportunity
Donnarumma went to City. Lucas Chevalier, the signing to replace him, did not convince Luis Enrique. And so, Safonov went from being the second goalkeeper again to becoming the definitive man between the three sticks.
And he is taking advantage of his moment. In December he stopped four shots in a row on penalties against Flamengo to give PSG the Intercontinental Cup. That feat cost him a broken hand, but he returned to the position as soon as it was healed.
His path has not been easy. When he arrived two years ago from Russian Krasnodar he was a stranger. Even so, he released a phrase that now resonates:
“I didn’t come to Paris Saint-Germain to be a substitute.”
Few believed him then, with Donnarumma as the owner of the goal. He even made a serious mistake against Bayern last season. It still has weak points, such as high centers.
But he has something valuable: a brutal mental capacity to forget mistakes and concentrate the next moment.
Now a bigger test awaits: a semi-final against Bayern or Real Madrid. The pressure will be extreme.
Meanwhile, he continues to surprise off the field. Unlike other stars who have passed through Paris, Safonov speaks French. And he does it very well.
He committed to learning it when he signed and he fulfilled it. After the game against Liverpool he seemed comfortable and fluent in a full interview in the local language.
The anonymous hero now has a name. And you have just taken a giant step towards writing your own story.
