Gianluigi Donnarumma was on the PSG bench on Saturday evening for the Lens reception. The Italian goalkeeper could experience another problem in the Champions League.
Luis Enrique is not the type to listen to what journalists and supporters say when putting together his team. This season, he does not hesitate to put Randal Kolo Muani completely on the shelf while Paris Saint-Germain spent 90 million euros to bring in the French international striker last year. But the latter could not be the only victim of the PSG coach. Because on Saturday afternoon, to everyone's surprise, Luis Enrique started Matvey Safonov in the Parisian goals, while Gianluigi Donnarumma was in great shape according to the Spanish technician's own words. And according to several sources, even if the coach of the French champions explained that he wanted to keep everyone under pressure, it could well be that the Russian goalkeeper starts Wednesday evening in the Champions League against Atlético de Madrid.
Donnarumma on the sidelines?
Evoking this still surprising decision by Luis Enrique, the journalists of Le Parisien recognize that it could lead to Gianluigi Donnarumma being sidelined during the reception of the Spanish club for an almost decisive match for PSG in this first phase of C1. “ No one knows, of course, if in the coach's mind, the hierarchy of goalkeepers has been reversed. But if he needed to be seriously challenged, or even to be warned of a future change, Donnarumma now knows Luis Enrique capable of changing goalkeeper depending on the opponent and his characteristics. And that’s it, except for one detail! », Warns the Ile-de-France daily. And on the L'Equipe side, we ask ourselves exactly the same question, especially since even if Matvey Safonov was not of an unprecedented level against Lens, with risky restarts, the Russian still signed a clean sheet.
Arnaud Hermant, journalist for the sports daily, thinks that Gigio Donnarumma could indeed have a bad time on Wednesday evening at the Parc des Princes by sitting on the sidelines to follow the Champions League match. “ The choice to start Safonov necessarily raises questions about the identity of the one who will be in the cage in the middle of next week (…) Luis Enrique has been thinking for several weeks about shaking up the hierarchy at the goalkeeper position. A fan of surprises and counterattacks, nothing should be ruled out with the Asturian. He may have started the first stage of what would be a revolution at PSG on Saturday », warns our colleague. A choice which would be risky to the extent that Paris Saint-Germain is in an uncomfortable position in the Champions League, and that the reception of the Colchoneros is perhaps one of the last opportunities to take big points. If in Ligue 1, Luis Enrique can afford crazy moves, the Spanish coach knows that C1 he no longer has any margin.
France
