Gianluigi Donnarumma, PSG's Bridge to Champions League Final

PARIS, THURSDAY - Football recognizes the thin lines that determine the final outcome of a match. In those crucial moments, there are several players who are indeed destined to be the deciders of the match's result. In the second match between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, Thursday (8/5/2025) early morning WIB at the Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris, Gianluigi Donnarumma had the honor of carrying that role. His contribution at the beginning of the match led PSG to a 2-1 victory, thus winning 3-1 on aggregate and securing a ticket to the UEFA Champions League final for the first time since 2020.

The Parc des Princes Stadium, which should be the most comfortable home for PSG, instead turned into a hell during the first 15 minutes of the match. Arsenal, needing an early goal to overcome the deficit after losing 0-1 in the first leg in London, played aggressively from the start, forcing PSG to defend more. From the early minutes of the match, Arsenal launched wave after wave of attacks, including actions from Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard.

Arsenal played with such intensity at the beginning of the match because they needed to score as quickly as possible to reverse the momentum. The 0-1 defeat in the first leg could be relatively easily overcome if the "Gunners" could score early to create an equal situation. Arsenal's attacks felt more incisive as they were able to play at full strength. Midfielder Thomas Partey, who returned to play, allowed Rice to not focus solely on maintaining depth, thus enabling him to more freely threaten PSG's defense.

However, Arsenal's brilliant momentum at the start of the match could be disrupted by Donnarumma. The Italian national team's goalkeeper thwarted a series of golden opportunities for Arsenal that were 99.9 percent likely to result in goals. Donnarumma recorded a total of three important saves in this match. The most crucial save by Donnarumma was deflecting a powerful long-range shot from Odegaard.

Donnarumma's action in thwarting Odegaard's attempt left the audience astonished. This is because Arsenal seemed to be just a fraction of a millimeter away from scoring. Odegaard's shot appeared impossible to be saved by an ordinary goalkeeper. In addition to its power, the movement of the ball was also difficult to predict due to the crowd of players in the penalty area. Donnarumma's extraordinary reflexes and precise positioning saved PSG's goal from premature conceding. Thanks to that save, the Arsenal players became increasingly frustrated with the situation.

"It is truly disappointing. At the beginning of the match, we were very dominant. If you score one chance in the first 15-20 minutes, the game will change completely. That is the fine line in football. It feels like this should not have happened. We have given everything in this competition. In two matches, we should have been able to score three or four goals, but Donnarumma performed exceptionally," said Rice after the match, Thursday (8/5/2025) early morning WIB.

Rice should regret his team's failure to breach PSG's goal from the outset. If his header and Odegaard's shot had found the net, the final result could have been entirely different. Arsenal aimed for an early goal to undermine PSG's confidence on their home ground. Furthermore, a goal in the early minutes would undoubtedly have placed the match completely under Arsenal's control.

After being thwarted by the solid wall of Donnarumma, Arsenal's efforts to close the goal deficit became increasingly complicated after Fabian Ruiz scored the opening goal for PSG. Ruiz's goal originated from a rebound following a free kick execution. Ruiz was able to receive the rebound and shoot without significant marking from Arsenal's defensive line.

PSG gained an even stronger advantage after Achraf Hakimi doubled the lead in the second half. Moments earlier, PSG had nearly added another goal through a penalty taken by Vitinha. However, Vitinha's penalty execution was too weak, allowing David Raya to save it.

The match was more balanced in the second half. Arsenal and PSG took turns threatening each other. Arsenal remained more dominant, but began to struggle to fend off PSG's attacks, which exploited their numerical advantage in the front line. This was all thanks to the skill of PSG Coach Luis Enrique, who forced Arsenal's defenders to often be outnumbered during transitions, thereby creating space for shooting.

"Luis Enrique has done an outstanding job since he arrived. He has created a fantastic team, and there is much work to be done to realize it. He is an expert," said Hakimi.

Arsenal was able to reduce the deficit through Bukayo Saka. However, that effort came too late to stop PSG's momentum. Although Saka scored a reply goal, the euphoria of PSG's victory was inevitable. "We are in the final, we are in the final!" shouted the PSG supporters.

The success of PSG began with the brilliance of Donnarumma. The decisive winning goal for PSG was indeed scored by Ruiz and Hakimi. However, without a series of outstanding saves by Donnarumma, the course of the match would have been entirely different, and the goals by Ruiz and Hakimi might not have occurred.

In the final match, PSG will face Inter Milan, who secured their ticket to advance earlier. The final will take place at the Allianz Arena Stadium in Munich, Germany, on June 1 in the early hours. (REUTERS)