Manchester City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma made a major error in Italy’s 3-1 win over Estonia last week.
The goalkeeper let the ball slip out of his hands, helping the opponents grab a goal. While the mistake didn’t cost Italy the game, Donnarumma responded with a top performance on Tuesday.
The Azzurri beat Israel 3-0, thanks to a Mateo Retegui brace. Before the striker scored, the Manchester City star made two crucial saves when the game was in the balance.
This proved decisive, as Rino Gattuso’s side sealed a play-off spot for World Cup qualification.
The Italian press is now full of praise for Donnarumma.
Corriere della Sera note that the 26-year-old was back in ‘superhero’ mode on Tuesday. They highlight his saves against Manor Solomon and Oscar Gloukh, giving him a rating of 8.
The newspaper believe that Donnarumma’s performance was ‘out of a marvel movie’.
Sky Italia have also praised the goalkeeper’s performance, rating him at 7. They believe he was always alert and was at his best.
TuttoSport also rate the player at 8. They note that Donnarumma made history in the game. This is because he now has 78 caps for the national team, level with the legendary Alessandro Nesta.
Doubts about his suitability to Pep Guardiola’s system remain. But Donnarumma’s performances for Italy will only help Manchester City, who have played a more direct setup in the last few weeks. This can suit the Italian.