AC Milan took a valuable victory over PSG in the Champions League.
AC Milan fans remembered their former goalkeeper with a rain of banknotes. PDO
Gigi Donnarumma already knew in advance that he would certainly receive a “warm” reception at San Siro.
The Neapolitan boy, who joined AC Milan’s junior team as a 14-year-old schoolboy, grew up to his current superstar proportions in the same stadium.
When he moved to Paris in the summer of 2021 against the wishes of the Milan management, he was already Italy’s number one goalkeeper and a recent European Championship gold medalist.
It was a disputed separation. The club management offered Veskar a weekly salary of around 140,000 euros, but PSG beckoned with their offer almost triple.
With his annual earnings of around 20 million euros, Donnarumma is currently the best-paid goalkeeper in football.
On Tuesday, he made his first appearance in front of the AC Milan crowd that once adored him as a PSG player when the giants of Champions League Group F met each other.
Eight years had passed almost to the day since Donnarumma’s Rossoneri debut.
The home crowd had prepared banknotes with the face of a veskar, which they threw from the end stand at the Italian’s neck.
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The message was clear. For the Milanists, Donnarumma was just a money-hungry mercenary who had no values in his life.
Beckham in place
The notes were one part of the fan protest. A huge concert of whistles followed every time Donnarumma took part in the game.
Also represented both clubs David Beckham watched the play from the vip section of the main auditorium, a little confused. He always gets a hero’s welcome in Milan.
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PSG goalkeeper Gigi Donnarumma cleaned his own goal area from mocking cards. PDO
Beckham didn’t want to admit his favorite in the match, and he got equal hits from both in the opening period.
First the PSG skipper Marquinhos continued Shit to the back post of the given angle, where Milan Skriniar was forgotten all alone. The Slovakian striker headed the ball into the net from knee height.
However, the hosts responded immediately. Donnarumma could barely make the save Olivier Giroud’s I bet, but I didn’t have time anymore Rafael Leão in front of the scissor kick continuation.
Milan took the lead early in the second period when Theo Hernandez centered the delicious ball into Giroud’s area. The Frenchman humiliated Škriniar, who scored the opening goal, and headed the ball into the top corner.
City to continue
Milan deserved their victory. Ruben Loftus-Cheek brought running power to the midfield, and the top pair Leão–Giroud did a flawless job tiring the PSG defense.
The Reds’ 2–1 win made the group stage tense. All four teams can fit within three points, so Newcastle (4 points), who suffered two consecutive defeats, still has a good chance to even overtake Borussia Dortmund (7 points), who are in the top spot.
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Olivier Giroud fanned his winning goal. PDO
In other matches, Manchester City already secured their place in the spring playoff rounds, when they beat Young Boys 3–0 at their hometown Etihad. Erling Haaland scored two goals, the last of which was City’s 250th in the Champions League.
At the same time, City became the fastest team to reach the milestone (119 matches).
Tuesday’s biggest surprise was seen in Hamburg, where Shakhtar Donetsk, which runs its own shelter, beat Barcelona Danylo Sikanin with a goal of 1–0.
The Ukrainian team has practically secured at least the third place in Group H and the next games of the Europa League. But it still has a chance to also get ahead of Porto or Barça in the Champions League playoffs.