Donnarumma And Sommer Offer Last Line Of Defence

When all is said and done, the last line of defence is what is imperative, and the respective showing ultimately decisive, in matches like these.

Yann Sommer will be treading familiar turf when he steps out at the Allianz Arena tonight.

The Swiss shotstopper spent a six-month stint as first choice for Bayern Munich in 2023, signed after Manuel Neuer suffered a leg fracture while on a skiing holiday.

The German’s recovery later that year meant Bayern were prepared to listen to offers for Sommer, and it was Inter who came calling for the former Gladbach man.

Having sold Andre Onana to Manchester United for in excess of £40m, Inter struck gold with the capture of Sommer for a fraction of the fee received for the error-prone Cameroonian. Inter must have been laughing all the way to the bank in replacing the former with the latter.

Having been the bridesmaid two years ago, Inter will have welcomed a shot at redemption in 2025, with Sommer key to their progression to the Champions League showpiece.

Indeed, the experienced Switzerland international was named Player of the Match in Inter’s entertaining 4-3 second leg win over Barcelona this month, and you can be sure the Nerazzurri will look to Sommer to put in another match-winning display when they take on Paris Saint-Germain.

Only Barcelona (43) have scored more goals than PSG (33) in the Champions League this season. They are led by Ballon d’Or contender Ousmane Dembele, flanked by two of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Bradley Barcola, and Desire Doue. Inter will look to Sommer to provide another resolute showing between the sticks.

Not only are PSG second for goals scored, they’re also top for non-penalty xG (36.02), second for shots per game (18.6), and third for shots on target per game (6.9) in the competition. Sommer is expected to be a busy, busy man in Munich, especially as Simone Inzaghi’s side rank 10th for shots conceded per game (15.3) in the competition.

However, Sommer has largely been equal to the task in the Champions League. A save success rate of 82.8% is the best of goalkeepers to have made at least seven appearances in Europe’s elite club competition this season. He’s been nigh-on impenetrable on Inter’s path to the final.

While the same cannot be said of PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma, the Italian has still been crucial in the French side’s campaign. The Ligue 1 powerhouse are on the cusp of a historic treble, having followed up their comfortable league success with the Coupe de France triumph over Reims at the weekend.

Like Inter two years, PSG were one win away from a place in the history books back in 2020 as they fell to a 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich. Narrative dictates that they look to banish that demon at the home of the German side on Saturday.

There is the extra needle in this tie, too, with Donnarumma looking to atone for his 2021 AC Milan exit by denying their city rivals a fourth European cup.

The towering 26-year-old has come in for criticism for a dip in domestic performance levels this season, yet he reminded the footballing world of his quality with back-to-back standout displays in the semi-final victory over Arsenal.

That being said, Donnarumma hasn’t been quite as dependable as Sommer in the Champions League. The former boasts a save success rate of just 69.4%, has kept fewer clean sheets — five to Sommer’s seven — and has conceded three more goals (14) than his Inter counterpart (11).

That’s not to say Donnarumma isn’t one of the elite goalkeepers in football, but that he’ll need to up his game to ensure PSG emerge victorious in Munich. The clash between the two men between the sticks is expected to have a huge say on whether Marquinhos or Lautaro Martinez hoists the Champions League into the German sky tonight.

‘Behind our wall’ Inter stated with a number of key Sommer stats on Instagram this week, reinforcing the experienced shot stopper’s importance on the Nerazzurri’s route to the Champions League final.

While Sommer has rarely earned his plaudits, the semi-final showing against Barcelona thrust the Inter No.1 into the spotlight, and not a moment too soon.

By comparison, Donnarumma is the more globally recognised in his position, even if his showings have perhaps been a level below their opponent both domestically and on the continent.

There are a number of key battles that’ll determine Europe’s best team at the Allianz Arena. There is a crunch midfield battle, while the tactical mismatch that’ll pit PSG’s full-backs against Inter’s wing-backs is well worth keeping tabs on.

However, when all is said and done, the last line of defence is what is imperative, and the respective showing ultimately decisive, in matches like these.

Whether Donnarumma or Sommer come away on top, this will be a battle between two heavyweight goalkeepers rather than boxing gloves.

Irishexaminer.com