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Has Paris Saint-Germain indulged in a goal war, in addition to having made its European future a little darker after its defeat against Bayern Munich (0-1)? The next few hours will tell us, when Matvey Safonov and Gianluigi Donnarumma return to training. Arriving at PSG last summer in exchange for €20 million, the former Krasnodar resident was the chef’s surprise concocted by Luis Enrique at the kick-off of yesterday’s match. Starting for the first time in the Champions League, the Russian relegated his teammate and competitor to the bench. This is also the first time since 2021 that Donnarumma has not experienced similar treatment in C1.
Safonov did the job
And unfortunately for him, Safonov was able to see yesterday that the media treatment reserved for goalkeepers is very different from that given to outfield players. Author of six saves, the Parisian goalkeeper had a good match, before his only error of the match overshadowed everything. Guilty of being moved by Musiala on Kim Min-jae’s winning goal, Safonov was not spared from criticism. Did Luis Enrique make a mistake in changing goalkeepers for such a meeting? For many, the Spaniard should never have started a goalkeeper less experienced than the Italian 2021 European champion, even if the latter’s performances in C1 have often left something to be desired this season. At a time when PSG observers are now wondering if Luis Enrique has lost Donnarumma, the Russian media have rushed to Safonov’s aid.
“Safonov did not deserve and was not ridiculous in his match against Bayern. Matvey did not fail »titled Sport Express. For its part, the site RussiaFootball.info was more incisive. “It’s been a long time since a Russian player found himself at the center of events during one of the main matches of the Champions League day. On the occasion of the 5th day of the general phase of the tournament, Matvey Safonov clearly showed himself. Matvey’s match could be called ideal if it were not for the goal conceded. On goal, it must be admitted that he lacks a bit of athletic presence. It would have been much more difficult for little Musiala to move Donnarumma in such a situation. But Safonov clearly should not be held responsible for the defeat. On the contrary, without him, Bayern would have decided the outcome of the match much earlier. Of course, Safonov can be criticized for making a mistake, but the outfield players deserve much more criticism. The Parisians were unable to oppose Bayern and the visitors lost their last chance to win in the 56th minute, when Ousmane Dembélé provoked his stupid sending off..
“In his game, he looks more convincing than Donnarumma”
SovSport he also defends the number of saves made by the PSG goalkeeper and even thinks that Safonov’s style of play was more useful for his team than that of Donnarumma. “In general, Matvey met fans’ expectations, although some were unhappy with this decision. And if the Italian goalkeeper sat on the bench with a dissatisfied face, there were those who spoke negatively in the media. Many believe that it was the Russian who was responsible for the defeat of the Parisian club, but no one thinks about how many other saves were made. Anyway, Matvey played a good match, despite the episode of the goal conceded. In his game, he looks more convincing than Donnarumma, and even if we remember his mistake, no one ever plays without making mistakes. Unfortunately, this is the law of football. In the match against the German club, Matvey saved six out of seven shots, but many blamed him for the defeat ».
Finally, the former Russian international goalkeeper (24 caps) Ruslan Nigmatullin (50 years old) also came to the aid of his compatriot, believing that the referee of the match should have called Musiala’s foul on Safonov. “Matvey is great. The field player pushed Safonov beyond the goal line, and in the penalty area you cannot touch the goalkeeper at all. Therefore, I believe the referee made a mistake here. And Matvey, I repeat, is great. It’s not for nothing that he received the highest rating. » After this turbulent evening, it now remains to be seen whether Luis Enrique will maintain his confidence in the Russian for the next match against Nantes, and especially in two weeks, for the decisive clash against RB Salzburg.
