PSG’s goalkeeping woes continued as coach Luis Enrique’s decision to replace Gianluigi Donnarumma with Matvei Safonov backfired in a 1-0 Champions League loss to Bayern Munich on Tuesday.
The defeat marked PSG’s third in five Champions League matches, putting the club at risk of being among the 12 teams eliminated in the new 36-team league format. While Enrique has pointed to wasteful finishing as a problem, the real issue has been critical errors by both goalkeepers.
Currently sitting 26th in the standings, PSG still has to face Manchester City. Exiting the group stage—especially with Belgian side Club Bruges ahead of them—would represent a new low for the Qatari-backed club, which has invested heavily in its quest for European dominance. Since QSI took over 13 years ago, PSG has yet to win the Champions League, reaching the final only once.
“We are worried, and that’s normal,” said PSG captain Marquinhos after the loss to Bayern. “We have three matches left.” The costly mistakes in goal include four by Donnarumma and one by Safonov, who misjudged a corner kick against Bayern, leading to an easy goal for the German side.
Despite both being 25 years old, the two goalkeepers have vastly different experiences. Donnarumma has nearly 400 combined club appearances for AC Milan and PSG, along with a European Championship title with Italy. In contrast, Safonov, who joined PSG from Krasnodar for approximately €20 million ($21 million) this offseason, lacks significant experience at the highest levels of competition.
Enrique opted for Safonov due to Bayern’s high-pressing style, suggesting that the Russian has better passing ability than Donnarumma, who has struggled with accurate distribution. While Safonov’s inexperience may explain his mistake, it raises questions about his readiness to be PSG’s starting goalkeeper. Donnarumma’s ongoing failure to handle corners—a problem that contributed to several goals against PSG last season—remains a significant concern.
Doubts about Donnarumma’s future at PSG have intensified following his exclusion from such a critical match. However, he appeared unfazed, smiling and chatting with a teammate on the bench before kickoff.
Looking ahead to Saturday’s Ligue 1 matchup against struggling Nantes, Enrique faces a dilemma: should he give Safonov another chance in what is expected to be a manageable game, or restore Donnarumma to reassure him of his status as the No. 1 goalkeeper.
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