Making his debut for Paris Saint-Germain, Lucas Chevalier found himself under intense scrutiny following his error which led to Cuti Romero’s goal making it 2-0. However, the goalkeeper went from critic’s target to penalty-saving hero, playing a crucial role in their eventual triumph after coming close to saving the first two spot-kicks.
PSG have been crowned champions of the European Super Cup. The French outfit defeated Tottenham on penalties (2-2) in a match that saw Chevalier make his debut in goal. The goalkeeper proved pivotal in securing the title, despite an error contributing to Tottenham’s second goal.
The young French stopper faced a daunting task, transitioning from a recently announced new signing to starting goalkeeper within four days, replacing Donnarumma. ‘Gigio’, who until recently was the undisputed first choice under Luis Enrique, found himself on the sidelines as the manager ushered in a new era without the Italian.
This new chapter began with silverware in the season’s opening official fixture. Chevalier experienced a rollercoaster of emotions on his PSG debut. His first involvement came in the 24th minute during a swift Tottenham counter-attack, culminating in a shot from Richarlison. A superb diving save denied what would have been the opener for the English side.
However, minutes later, the Spurs took the lead through Van de Ven, who capitalised on a rebound off the post to break the deadlock. The goalkeeper could do nothing about that goal, but the same couldn’t be said for the second. Cuti Romero was unmarked at the far post, and his header evaded the keeper’s grasp, finding the back of the net after a soft hand from the former Lille man.
Chevalier knew he would be singled out in the following day’s headlines, despite it being his debut. The two-goal deficit presented a significant challenge, but the French side rallied, scoring late on to force a penalty shootout. In the shootout itself, the former Lille keeper, who narrowly missed saving the first two penalties, correctly anticipated and saved the third from Van de Ven. This crucial intervention, followed by Mathys Tel’s subsequent miss, secured a 4-3 victory. It was a significant turnaround and a title-winning baptism for Chevalier at PSG. Now, he must shine to ensure Paris completely forgets about Donnarumma.