Nice saves and mistakes not like him: Donnarumma at 24 years old is in his ninth season as a starter, but he hasn’t eliminated the uncertainties in the key matches
– MILAN
Since 11 July 2021, Gigio Donnarumma’s story with the blue shirt has been… diverted. In the sense that he took an unexpected direction. That midsummer night, at Wembley, the former AC Milan goalkeeper dragged Italy to one of the greatest feats in its history, the victory on penalties against England in the European Championship. Gigio saved the last two shots from Sancho and Saka and gave us a statement to pass down to posterity, in which we suddenly forgot the failure to qualify for the World Cup in Russia with Ventura as coach. The new course inaugurated by Mancini with a streak of useful results still open at that time was at the height of its splendor and shortly thereafter Donnarumma would even enter the list of 30 candidates for the Ballon d’Or. Driven more by the saves against Italy than by the performances against PSG, where he initially had to deal with the run-off with Keylor Navas. Two years and a few weeks later what remains of that night in London? Not very much, judging by the Macedonian equalizer’s free-kick, badly taken last night without covering his post, and by some other uncertainties while wearing the blue shirt.
BITTER MACEDONIA
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In fact, Macedonia does not only bring to the mind of the Italian number 1 last night’s 1-1 draw, but also and above all the world play-off in Palermo, on 24 March 2022, when we were ousted from Qatar 2022 thanks to a time-lapsed razor from outside the area by Trajkovski. Poisonous shot, but you expect a great save in a key moment from a champion like Gigio. From then on more bitterness than joy, uncertainties mixed with decisive parades. Remember Germany-Italy 5-2 in the Nations League in June 2022? At Muller’s 3-0 Gigio slipped badly on the cross, while he gave the 5-0 by missing a pass that led to Werner’s goal. And then the last pre-World Cup friendly was missed: the 2-0 defeat at Austria was the result of a nice (but not uncatchable) free-kick by Alaba. Another free kick… Like the one on 25 October 2015, on his debut with Milan at San Siro (he was 16 years and 8 months old), again received at the post by specialist Berardi. The list of no-matches in blue is getting longer. Some good saves, but also the responsibility, shared with Bonucci, for Spain’s 1-0 win in the Nations League semi-final: imperfect pass to the former Juventus player forced to risk dribbling, ball stolen by Pino and goal.
MISTAKES AT PSG
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And at PSG? Arriving on a free transfer as European champion, he experienced a difficult first season due to the dualism with Keylor Navas and the critics did not treat him well. Especially after the mistake in the Champions League against Real Madrid which, thanks to a possible foul not called by Benzema, resulted in the French team’s elimination in March 2022. A year after the two errors in seven minutes against Nantes which were preceded from the duck in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Bayern, which also cost them farewell to Europe which includes the Transalpines, who were also beaten on their return to Germany. Having won the last championship, he had concluded it, in the last few days, with another less than brilliant performance on the Auxerre pitch: a 2-1 victory for Galtier’s men, but a goal conceded with the ball passing under the belly of Gigio. Too many errors for a goalkeeper of his skill. And the new season didn’t start differently: a video of Luis Enrique getting angry with Donnarumma for a long throw with his feet despite the large advantage in the match he later won against Lyon is going viral on the web. The Spanish coach wants more construction with his feet from his goalkeeper, an aspect on which the former AC Milan player has worked a lot, but which is not yet the house’s specialty.
UNTOUCHABLE
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Despite these mistakes Donnarumma remains untouchable. Both for PSG and for the national team. Because in the midst of these uncertainties he also shows off saves like the great goalkeeper he is. But now he is missing the last step: continuity of performance, the ability to avoid certain errors in games of a certain importance, from the Champions League to matches with the national team. He is just 24 years old, but since he wore the starting shirt for Milan for the first time in 2015 with Mihajlovic on the bench, he has already been on the crest of a wave for 8 years. He is both a veteran and a young player with plenty of room for growth. That he makes great saves, but that sometimes he gets caught like last night in Skopje on Bardhi’s free kick.
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