Gianluigi Donnarumma is strongly criticized after his performance against Barça this Wednesday in the quarter-final first leg of the Champions League (3-2 defeat). To the point that some even wonder if he will still have his place in the PSG goals next season.
Like a sense of deja vu. Two years after the Bernabeu fiasco, when PSG were eliminated in the round of 16 of the Champions League by Real Madrid, the debate returns tirelessly to the table: does Gianluigi Donnarumma have the caliber of a goalkeeper capable of keep the house going during major meetings?
As against the Merengue club in 2022, when he was notably guilty of a terrible recovery error in front of Karim Benzema, the Italian goalkeeper missed his match this Wednesday in the quarter-final first leg of the Champions League against FC Barcelona (3-2 defeat).
>> All the information and reactions after PSG-Barça (2-3)
On the first Catalan achievement, its exit is not decisive (37th). On Barça’s second goal, he made a mistake in his recovery and returned the ball directly to the Catalan club. In the process, Pedri serves Raphinha on a plate (2-2, 62nd).
But the action which earned him the most criticism was undoubtedly that of the 3-2 in favor of the Barcelona residents (77th). From a corner, the ball arrives within six meters but the 1.96m Parisian goalkeeper remains glued to his line and lets Andreas Christensen crucify him at point blank range.
“You can explain everything you want to me. But the goal they score, the third, at this level of competition, knowing that you have a golgoth in the goals who is three meters long with his arms out “air and who never comes out who is always stuck to his line…”, railed Emmanuel Petit on RMC Sport 1 after the meeting.
“I wonder if he will still be in goal next year”
“On a corner like that, putting a header within 5.50m…”, also lamented Jérôme Rothen in After Foot, on RMC. “Even Raphinha’s second goal, he’s on his heels, he’s moving backwards, he’s not trying to make any moves… He’s almost going to fall on his butt. What’s terrible is that we had the impression that this year was the right one. He had regained regularity and the first match where you need senior players… He no longer has any excuses with the CV he has. He is no longer a young goalkeeper with Navas in paws. He was put No. 1, now he has to take responsibility.”
Faced with this disappointing performance, Johan Djourou, consultant for RMC Sport, even wondered about the medium-term future of the former Milanese. “These are knockout matches where the details count. He wasn’t sharp. He makes good saves, we know him, he’s a good goalkeeper. But I wonder if he will still be in goal next year as a starter. He makes too many mistakes with his feet, and we know that Luis Enrique needs reliable players.”