Gianluigi Donnarumma, the 26-year-old Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper, was the hero of the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 against Liverpool, saving two penalties in the process, although he came under fire after the first leg’s 0-1 defeat. In an extract from his beIN SPORTS interview to be broadcast this Saturday, the Italian goalkeeper spoke of his mental state between the first and second legs.
Donnarumma: “Everyone was confident”.
What’s going on in your head between the first leg against Liverpool, when everyone’s mad at you, and the second leg, when you’re the big hero?
“The day after the first leg, I already knew we were going to play a game, that we were going to win there. In my head, everyone was confident and I think it was that mentality that made the difference in the second leg.”
The Champions League and great Champions League matches are obviously won in the head. If PSG were able to make the difference against Liverpool, it was because from the first minute to the last, every single one of the players was 100% sure of qualifying, and because they put everything they had into it.
It’s a mentality that has galvanized this squad since January and the 4-2 victory over Manchester City. It’s also the kind of mentality that will enable PSG to dream of their own achievement in this competition, which remains their main objective.
