PSG: exclusion at Le Havre, disappointments against Monaco and Newcastle… Donnarumma’s bad luck

2023-12-03 17:18:29

The matches follow one another and are similar for Gianluigi Donnarumma in recent days. Against Monaco at the Parc on November 24, his poor recovery allowed Takumi Minamino to equalize in the first period. Against Newcastle on November 28, his hand fault gave Alexander Isak the opener. And in Le Havre, this Sunday, his failed outing on Josué Casimir caused him to be sent off and leave his partners at 10 against 11 from the 23rd minute.

Against Le Havre, during the 14th day of Ligue 1, Gianluigi Donnarumma signed his third failed performance in a little over a week, even though before that he was enjoying one of his best periods in the Parisian jersey.

With a restart error, a hand fault and a missed exit accompanied by a red card, the former Milanese has had it all in the last three matches. This Sunday at the Stade Océane, and before the Parisians finally won (0-2), it was a misunderstanding with Nordi Mukiele which led to the exclusion of the goalkeeper. A long ball over the defense, an uncertain teammate, and Gigi Donnarumma found himself attempting a delayed exit on Josué Casimir. By placing his foot dangerously at the level of the Norman attacker's face, the Italian was logically penalized with a direct red card.

A fault for which his coach preferred not to incriminate him after the meeting. “There was a mistake with the defensive line. We were distracted and he tried to intervene, but the attacker was in front of him,” Luis Enrique said on Prime Video. “I don’t think that was his mistake. It’s more my responsibility since it’s me who asks my goalkeeper to play like this on the opponent’s long balls,” he continued at a press conference.

A reaction to Dortmund?

But the sanction addressed to the PSG goalkeeper, in addition to placing his team numerically inferior for a majority of the match, should deprive him of at least the next two days of Ligue 1, even though Keylor Navas is injured in his back. It is the young Spanish hope Arnau Tenas who took his place in goal in Normandy, but it remains to be seen how Gianluigi Donnarumma will react against Dortmund.

Because these three errors, blow for blow, come before the match which will define the rest of Paris Saint-Germain's season. On December 13, PSG will travel to Dortmund, and will play their qualification for the round of 16 of the Champions League there. By then, the Italian international will have spent the upcoming match against Nantes in the stands of the Parc des Princes. A situation that he has not experienced since 2021, when he was sent off for the first and last time with Milan, in the Italian Cup.