Gianluigi Donnarumma’s goalkeeping performance turned into a disaster as the Catalan side staged a comeback to secure a thrilling five-goal victory in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals.
Out of all the goalkeepers available, it is surprising that the wealthiest football club ended up with Gianluigi Donnarumma. Unfortunately, he played a significant role in all three goals scored by Barcelona, resulting in a 3-2 defeat for Paris Saint-Germain.
Donnarumma, the former Milan goalkeeper, continuously made mistakes, ultimately benefiting Xavi’s team over Luis Enrique’s French champions.
.png "Donnaruma's mistakes caused PSG to lose against Barcelona 2")
The Italian took a risk from Barcelona’s initial attack as a long ball from Marc Andre ter Stegen found Raphinha. The PSG goalkeeper rushed out of his goal and was fortunate that the Barca forward slowed down, allowing him to clear the danger.
Had Raphinha been more aggressive, it’s likely he would have been fouled and shown a red card.
Donnarumma made another mistake shortly after, failing to reach a corner as Barcelona continued to dominate.
He was involved in the opening goal, as Robert Lewandowski passed to Lamine Yamal. Donnarumma attempted to catch the 16-year-old’s cross but could only deflect it to Raphinha, who scored to make it 1-0.
PSG were relieved to reach halftime. Kang-In Lee tested Ter Stegen with a shot, and Kylian Mbappe was well-contained, with his penalty appeal rightly denied due to offside.
The only positive for the French side in the first half was a booking for Sergio Roberto, ruling him out of the second leg.
However, at halftime, Luis Enrique made a crucial change by removing Marco Asensio as a false nine, altering the course of the game.
Two quick goals early in the second half completely shifted the momentum. Ousmane Dembele scored with a powerful left-footed shot after evading Frenkie de Jong.