The hero could only be him. Starting for the fourth time this Wednesday evening during the Intercontinental Cup final against Flamengo, Matvey Safonov has perhaps definitively relaunched the debate on the starting goalkeeper of Paris Saint-Germain. Author of four saves during the penalty shootout, he offered his club a 6th title this season after a match that was poorly controlled by his teammates.
However, the Russian was not even supposed to be the starter. Recovered from his severe ankle shock suffered against Monaco, Lucas Chevalier could have found his place in the Parisian cage. Luis Enrique, however, decided to put the Frenchman on the bench and maintain a little continuity between the poles.
The result proves him right. If he had a very quiet match, with only one save to make, Matvey Safonov especially stood out during the decisive penalty shootout. While he had conceded that of Jorginho, caused by a foul by Marquinhos on the hour mark, the Russian pulled out all the stops with four consecutive saves against Saul Niguez, Pedro, Leo Pereira and Luiz Araujo. Enough to erase the misses of Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola.
“He was ready, he was waiting for this moment”
“We said thank you after the match,” exclaimed Nuno Mendes in the interview. She is a very, very nice person who laughs with everyone. On and off the field, he is an incredible person. » “He was ready, he was waiting for this moment and he knew how to show the quality he had,” said Warren Zaire-Emery. He is a boy who has integrated very well into the team, he quickly learned French, he is always listening and he always gives his best. It’s players like that that we need. »
Sitting on the bench, Lucas Chevalier must have watched this show of force with mixed feelings. Because if he has now won his second trophy with PSG, after the European Super Cup this summer against Tottenham where he was also the hero on penalties by stopping the attempts of Mathys Tel and Micky Van de Ven (2-2, 4-3 tab), the former Lille goalkeeper must undoubtedly fear for his starting place.
In four games, Matvey Safonov has only conceded three small goals: two last Saturday against Metz and a penalty this Wednesday evening. Against Bilbao and Rennes, he did not turn around once. Solid on his line, reassuring in the air and on the feet, he delivered very solid performances that are difficult to criticize.
Before the match in Metz, Luis Enrique had also recognized the excellent performances of his number 2 goalkeeper. “We were able to see another player who had not played since the start of the season, and he showed his level and we are very happy to see the players ready all the time,” he declared. Mocha (Safonov’s nickname) showed not only his professionalism, but also his personality. And I’m very happy to know that we have three top goalkeepers. »
Can this Intercontinental Cup final now restart the goal war? After the Champions League match against Bilbao, Peter Luccin thought no. “Chevalier is really better with his feet,” said the former PSG midfielder. It’s just a matter of time with Chevalier, it’s his first season in such an important club, he has to get used to the demands of PSG, to the pressure he has on his shoulders. » Matvey Safonov, however, is now difficult to dismiss.
