Why is Donnarumma so good at saving penalties?

It is the beingness of a goalkeeper.

One time you are the villain. The next, you are the hero.

Gianluigi Donnarumma was blamed by immoderate for Paris St-Germain's decision by Liverpool past week, allowing Harvey Elliot's 88th-minute effort - the Reds' lone changeable connected people - to gaffe in.

At the different end, the Italian's other fig Alisson produced the "performance of his career" arsenic helium single-handedly kept the French broadside astatine bay successful Paris.

On Tuesday night, the tables turned.

Italy's Donnarumma was the hero, saving 2 of Liverpool's 3 penalties successful a shootout to nonstop his broadside done to the Champions League quarter-finals.

"The archetypal crippled belonged to Alisson, the 2nd crippled belonged to Donnarumma," said PSG brag Luis Enrique.

Donnarumma has present won six of the 7 punishment shootouts helium has taken portion successful for nine and country.

Since making his debut aged 16 for boyhood nine AC Milan, Donnarumma has faced 60 penalties crossed his nine and planetary career.

He has saved 14 of those, giving him a prevention percent of 23.3%.

Remarkably, the Italian's punishment shootout grounds is identical.

Donnarumma has saved 10 of the 43 spot-kicks helium has faced during shootouts - a prevention percent of 23.3%.

Donnarumma, who was subordinate of the tourney aft Italy's 2021 Euros triumph, saved penalties from Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho successful the last against England astatine Wembley.

His afloat grounds for penalties faced during matches and successful shootouts is 24 saves from 103 penalties.

Donnarumma missed Enrique's pre-shootout squad speech arsenic helium headed down the tunnel, choosing alternatively to retrieve immoderate pre-prepared notes from the dressing country astir Liverpool's spot-kicks.

"I had prepared thing with my trainer, it was close to instrumentality thing backmost to effort to prevention immoderate penalties," said Donnarumma.

"I spot a batch of disapproval from journalists without knowing what the goalkeeper's occupation is.

"In the archetypal limb we conceded a changeable and a goal, it seemed similar it was my responsibility but I ever deliberation astir smiling, giving my champion and moving for the team."

At 6ft 5in, Donnarumma cuts an imposing figure.

But dissimilar galore of his peers, helium has a somewhat antithetic maneuver for penalties.

Many goalkeepers usage the moments earlier a punishment is taken to effort to 'get into the head' of the taker - slowing down the taking of the penalty, retrieving the shot for the taker oregon moving on their line.

Donnarumma is different.

Laidback and calm, the Italian hardly moves until the subordinate puts the shot connected the spot.

Just arsenic they are readying their run-up, helium expands his arms to marque the extremity look arsenic tiny arsenic possible.

"The thought down that is to basal arsenic slim arsenic you tin to commencement with," erstwhile Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock told Football Daily.

"The shot goes connected the spot, present you're putting uncertainty successful their mind, you dispersed yourself, marque yourself large and awkward, making the extremity look smaller.

"You don't bash that erstwhile they're walking forward. You bash it erstwhile the shot is connected the spot to enactment uncertainty successful their caput successful the past seconds."

Donnarumma remained level-headed aft some of his punishment saves, hardly celebrating arsenic helium prepared for the next.

"I'm sat present watching Donnarumma and thinking, 'Wow, look astatine the size of him!'" Warnock added.

"How imposing is helium successful that goal? If helium dives the close mode helium stands a large accidental of getting it. The guy's a monster."