He lost his first leg duel against Mbappé. Mike Maignan knows it. Defeated sharply on the lawn of the Parc des Princes (3-0), AC Milan must recover this Tuesday for the fourth group match of the Champions League. And to dominate PSG, the Rossoneri will need a big Maignan in goal, ready to face the Parisian number 7.
“Kylian is a very high level player. It is very difficult to read. We have to anticipate from time to time because he does things so quickly,” recalled the Blues goalkeeper who rubs shoulders with the capital club’s top scorer in the selection.
“No room for emotion”
Trapped in the first leg on a near post shot from Mbappé which left him stunned, Maignan responded at the end of the match, in the 82nd minute, by signing a magnificent save to prevent “Kyks” from scoring a double.
What to be at 1-1 with Mbappé? “No, we lost 3-0, if I remember correctly,” replies Maignan who still intends to stop the Parisian attacker this Tuesday. “If I have a one-on-one against Mbappé, the goal is to stop him. That’s why I play for this team,” he added.
???? #Maignan in the press conference: “PSG is a great team but so are we. We can still qualify, we have to be perfect in the next three matches. Renewal? I’m fine at #Milan. But now is not the time to talk about my renewal. Donnarumma? A great goalkeeper” pic.twitter.com/vgUj5kSY2X
— Luca Maninetti (@LucaManinetti) November 6, 2023
Also asked about the importance of Mbappé, Stefano Pioli said he was wary of “all the fast attackers” of PSG. “Paris can strike at any time. We absolutely must stay focused,” warned the Italian coach who is counting on his goalkeeper “back at the highest level” to help him in this quest.
For Maignan, this match will still have a little special taste against his training club, even if the ex-PSG goalkeeper kicked in on the question: “There is no room for emotion. We know what we have to do. We have to focus on football, and so do I! » Asked, finally, about his Parisian counterpart, the Italian Gianluigi Donnarumma, returning to San Siro after leaving the free club in 2021, the former Lille goalkeeper declared: “It ended on bad terms here between him and the club. We know that the reception will be difficult. Our supporters are hot.”
