Yesterday Matvey Safonov made his debut for PSG. And already in the first half he conceded two goals against Sturm. At the same time, he played the match until the end and received mixed reviews in the local press. Not only were they skeptical of the Russian goalkeeper. Rather, the public was confused by the lack of victory over a much lower-class opponent and the first match of other newcomers – Neves and Moscardo. They were not impressed either. So everyone was criticized.
L’Équipe: “It is not clear if Matvey will compete with Donnarumma”
It is not clear if Matvey will compete with Donnarumma
Photo by: L’Équipe
The major French sports media reacted with restraint to Safonov’s debut.
“The Russian goalkeeper played the entire match last night and couldn’t do anything about the two goals he conceded. To sum up, we can say that he didn’t make a single mistake, but he didn’t perform a miracle either. It’s obvious that Matvey is good at coming out and can beat anyone in the air, but at the same time he plays very normally with his feet. Yes, the Russian always seems focused, but so far that doesn’t help him much. We’ll have to wait until we finally understand whether Matvey will be a real competitor for Gianluigi Donnarumma this season.”
Culturepsg: “Safonov should do a better job”
Safonov must do better
Photo by: Culturepsg
A local club website believes Safonov needs to improve if he is to be a real competitor for Donnarumma.
“It is interesting that Matvey Safonov was the only newcomer to feature in the starting line-up. This suggests that Luis Enrique intends to give him real playing time. After a quarter of an hour of play, he was already picking the first ball out of the net when Kamara went one-on-one and beat the goalkeeper. It is difficult to blame him for this goal, but there are more doubts about the second. Kiteishvili’s shot was long-range but accurate. And it seemed that Safonov was simply not ready for it. This is a problem, because the Russian competitor’s name is Donnarumma and he is a specialist in such saves. It is clear that Safonov must deal better with these moments if he wants to change the hierarchy.
The rest of the match showed that Safonov is reliable, especially when he gets hit hard. He was also good with some aerial balls, which he handled well. His kicking game was in demand and he preferred safety to risk. First complete match. And there is something to think about.”
Safonov’s debut match review:
Video
Safonov made his PSG debut, against Khudyakov! The Russians conceded four in the half. Video
Le Parisien: “Matvey showed nothing”
matvey didn’t show anything
Photo by: Le Parisien
But Le Parisien had more critical comments.
“This first warm-up match allowed us to see the first steps of Russian goalkeeper Matvey Safonov. It is too early to draw conclusions, but the goalkeeper has not yet shown anything that would allow him to compete with Gianluigi Donnarumma. We also see that some Parisians were at their best in this match, for example Lee Kang-in had several good chances and was the source of the second goal. The same goes for Ibrahim Mbaye, who, in addition to his goal, did many useful things. Moscardo and João Neves, two other summer signings, spent their first minutes in the new colours and we will also have to be patient to see how they contribute to the game.”
Footmercato: “Safonov did not make a good impression”
Safonov did not make a great impression.
Photo by: Footmercato
The French resource also describes the Russian’s game without enthusiasm.
“It was a chance to see the club’s new players for the first time: Matvey Safonov, Joao Neves and Gabriel Moscardo. The former started and in the second half the two midfielders came on. The Russian goalkeeper ended up playing the whole match. Let’s say right away that he didn’t make a great impression. Yes, the first goal was a defensive error. But there are doubts about the second.
Even though the strike was long-range and expected, Safonov unexpectedly stepped back, almost to the line, to prepare for the save, but missed. And overall, the Russian did not give the impression of being a confident goalkeeper. Obviously it is too early to judge with certainty, but he will have to work twice as hard if he wants to be a serious competitor for Donnarumma.
Matvey’s former club will compete for trophies:
Is Krasnodar still a contender for the championship?
