Only a few days in the past, Actual Madrid earned a decisive victory over Barcelona within the first Clasico of the 2025–26 season. In that match, Kylian Mbappe missed a penalty throughout the second half. Now, goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has revealed the main points behind that save.
“It was fairly apparent, he scored the final penalty in opposition to me taking it like that,” Szczesny stated throughout a stay interview on Barcelona’s official YouTube channel. “He was in a great second of confidence, I knew he would select the identical facet. Then you must pray to succeed in the ball.”
Certainly, the goalkeeper had confronted Mbappe in an analogous scenario simply 5 months earlier, throughout Matchday 35 of the 2024–25 La Liga season. In that match, the French ahead took a penalty early within the recreation after a foul dedicated by Szczesny himself.
The shot was highly effective and low to the fitting facet of Szczesny, who guessed accurately however couldn’t get to the ball in time. This previous weekend, the Polish goalkeeper recalled that earlier encounter and dove to the identical facet — this time managing to disclaim Mbappe and stop Actual Madrid from scoring a 3rd purpose.
Wojciech Szczesny of FC Barcelona.
Szczesny’s method to penalty saves
All through his skilled profession, Wojciech Szczesny has proven spectacular effectivity when dealing with penalties. In regulation play, he has confronted 96 penalty kicks and saved 21 of them — successful fee of 21.8%.
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When requested in regards to the secret behind these numbers, the Polish goalkeeper was candid. “I research lots. Earlier than every match, I watch the final 20 penalties taken by the 2 or three foremost penalty takers,” he revealed, making it clear that past pure skill, there’s loads of exhausting work concerned.
“Typically you choose up info throughout their profession,” he added, referring to opposing penalty takers. “Some shoot in another way relying on the second within the match or the rating. I attempt to have as a lot info as doable.”
Szczesny names his all-time high goalkeepers
Throughout the identical dialog on Barcelona’s official YouTube channel, Szczesny was requested to call his high 5 goalkeepers within the historical past of soccer. He rapidly listed the primary 4 — a mixture of present and up to date stars together with legends of the previous.
“Buffon, Yashin, Neuer, the perfect model of Cech,” picked the Barcelona participant at first, earlier than including an sudden fifth identify. “And I’ll embrace myself too,” Szczesny stated with a smile.
That record consists of an icon of world soccer, Lev Yashin, the previous Soviet Union legend who shined throughout the Fifties and Nineteen Sixties and after whom France Soccer named the annual award for the world’s greatest goalkeeper, introduced throughout the Ballon d’Or ceremony.
Two of the opposite gamers on Szczesny’s record are retired however far more current: Gianluigi Buffon and Petr Cech. Each have been contemporaries of Szczesny and confronted him quite a few occasions at membership and worldwide stage. The ultimate identify on the record, Manuel Neuer, stays a key determine for Bayern Munich to today.
