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Gianluigi Donnarumma was immense in goal during PSG's 1-0 win over Arsenal in the Champions League semi-final.
Back in October, Gianluigi Donnarumma was the symbol of PSG’s vulnerability — now, he’s their wall, their difference-maker, and quite possibly the reason Arsenal’s Champions League run is over.
It’s strange how fast narratives shift. Six months ago, the Italian was shouldering blame after Paris Saint-Germain’s 2-0 group-stage loss to Arsenal, a night marked by two soft goals.
One was a mistimed jump that left Kai Havertz with a free header, and the other, a Bukayo Saka delivery that inexplicably slipped through his fingers. That result nearly dumped PSG out of the competition early — they only survived the group thanks to a last-gasp qualification into the play-offs.
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Now? They’re in the driver’s seat for the final, and Donnarumma is at the heart of it.
On Tuesday night at the Emirates, PSG flipped the script. For 30 minutes, they swarmed Arsenal with terrifying speed and purpose.
Ousmane Dembélé struck inside four minutes after a slick link-up with Kvicha Kvaratskhelia — a duo that danced around Arsenal’s defence and hinted at a rout.
Vitinha orchestrated the midfield with composure, Achraf Hakimi bulldozed forward from the right, and young Desire Doue dazzled with his quick feet. But for all their dominance, PSG couldn’t find the killer second goal. And that opened the door for Arsenal.
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Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard each broke free behind Hakimi, slipping into promising areas with clever passes from Myles Lewis-Skelly and Declan Rice. Both chances were nailed on to change the game. But Donnarumma had other ideas.
Martinelli shaped to curl it Henry-style — denied by Donnarumma’s outstretched hand. Minutes later, Trossard tried to squeeze one past him low and left. Again, the Italian got down swiftly and punched the ball to safety.
Both stops were match-winning moments, celebrated by Donnarumma like he’d scored the winner himself. The fist-pumping, roaring release was pure defiance.
The transformation is stunning. Donnarumma, still only 26, feels like a veteran of two careers. A starter at AC Milan since 16, his early promise was almost too much, too soon. And the weight of that potential hasn’t always been easy to carry.
There have been missteps. That howler against Arsenal in October, the calamitous concession versus Germany in the Nations League, and his shaky footwork — all fed into the idea that he couldn’t be trusted on Europe’s biggest stage. Last season, mistakes against Barcelona nearly derailed PSG’s campaign again.
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But since the knockout rounds began, he’s been unrecognisable — a one-man wall against England’s best. In the last 16, it was his penalty heroics against Liverpool that booked PSG’s quarter-final ticket.
In the next round, Aston Villa looked poised for a miracle comeback until Donnarumma turned away a Marcus Rashford rocket, clawed out a looping Tielemans header, and used his feet to deny Marco Asensio. Now, against Arsenal, he’s done it again.
Beyond the highlight-reel saves, Donnarumma kept things tidy elsewhere. He dealt comfortably with aerial threats and, in a real sign of growth, handled Vitinha’s zipped backpasses with calm and composure.
Even Mikel Arteta had to concede the difference. “Their keeper made the difference,” the Arsenal boss admitted. “That is the margin and the level for this semi-final.”
Vitinha, named UEFA’s official Player of the Match, didn’t think twice — he handed the award to Donnarumma with the caption: “Le vrai MVP.” Even L’Équipe, rarely generous with praise, gave him an 8/10 and called him “magical again.”
In a team of stars and speedsters, it’s easy to overlook the goalkeeper. But when Arsenal had clawed their way back into the match and were inches from equalising, it wasn’t Mbappé or Dembélé who preserved the win. It was the man between the posts.
Luis Enrique, never one to spotlight individuals, tried to spread the credit. “We wouldn’t have got this result without 14 or 15 players,” he said — but even he nodded toward Donnarumma’s role. “When you’re playing away against a rival who are so good at set pieces, you need a titan in goal.”
And on this night, PSG had one.
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