A day after Yann Sommer’s brilliant performance, which helped Inter Milan reach the Champions League final at the expense of Barcelona, it was Gianluigi Donnarumma’s turn to shine, securing Paris Saint-Germain’s place in the final in Munich.
The Italian goalkeeper kept Arsenal at bay, practically single-handedly, during the initial stages, while the visitors tried to come back from the 1-0 first-leg defeat.
His instinctive save against Gabriel Martinelli’s close-range shot was superb, but minutes later he surpassed himself by stretching out his arm to somehow deflect Martin Ødegaard’s powerful low shot.
It was a beautiful match. My save today on Ødegaard? It was very nice, the ball went between the legs of one of my teammates. I work a lot on low balls, but Mother Nature also played her part
Donnarumma
If Arsenal had scored then, the tie could have changed course, but goals from Fabián Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi put PSG in command before Bukayo Saka, whom Donnarumma had already denied with a fingertip save, finally responded, albeit too late.
When you watch both legs, the best player on the pitch has been the goalkeeper. He has made the difference for them in the tie
Mikel Arteta, Arsenal manager
Donnarumma, who will play his first Champions League final when PSG faces Inter on May 31, was also an insurmountable barrier in the first leg in North London, where he made astonishing saves to protect PSG’s advantage.
Donnarumma made a total of five saves on Wednesday, but it was also his command of the penalty area when Arsenal resorted to basics and turned to long throw-ins or long balls into the crowded area that allowed PSG to stay safe.
Asked about his performance afterwards, a modest Donnarumma preferred to pay tribute to another member of the goalkeepers’ union. “Yesterday Sommer was very good, he made more saves than me. He played a fantastic game, it was a great match.”
