David de Gea was the hero for Fiorentina, saving two penalties as they claimed their second victory of the Serie A season in a chaotic encounter with AC Milan.
The Spaniard got down low to his left to save Theo Hernandez’s first-half spot-kick before superbly diving to his right to prevent Tammy Abraham’s penalty in the second period. De Gea, 33, has now stopped two of the four penalties he has faced since signing for the Italian club in August.
This weekend in European football delivered thrilling moments, unexpected performances, and some much-needed recoveries by top teams. Among the highlights, David de Gea stood tall with a stellar performance, Omar Marmoush showcased his magic on the pitch, and Barcelona found their way back to winning ways. Let’s dive deeper into these pivotal moments in what was a fascinating weekend of football across Europe.
David de Gea’s Redemption: A Return to Form
David de Gea, once regarded as one of the world’s best goalkeepers, has experienced a fluctuating career trajectory in recent seasons. After his unexpected exit from Manchester United and speculation surrounding his future, de Gea’s performance has been closely scrutinized. Over the weekend, he proved why he is still a force to be reckoned with, pulling off not one but two crucial saves that helped his team secure a hard-fought draw. It’s this kind of brilliance that reminds fans of the shot-stopper’s prime years at United, where he single-handedly kept his team in games on numerous occasions.
His resurgence is more than just about reflexes—it’s a mental victory. After facing criticism and challenges over the last couple of years, de Gea’s double save in this fixture could be the spark that reignites his career. For goalkeepers, form is often tied to confidence, and if de Gea can build on this momentum, he might just find himself back at the top of his game, perhaps even earning a recall to Spain’s national team. With the European Championship looming next year, this kind of performance couldn’t have come at a better time.
Yacine Adli and Albert Gudmundsson scored for the hosts with Christian Pulisic levelling in between, in a contest that also saw Milan stopper Mike Maignan save Moise Kean’s penalty, Fiorentina boss Raffaele Palladino sent-off in the closing stages and a red card issued to Milan defender Hernandez after the final whistle.
Scott McTominay scored after 25 seconds as Napoli beat Como 3-1 to continue their fine early-season form and stay top of the Italian top flight.
Romelu Lukaku also scored for Antonio Conte’s team, sitting two points clear of second-placed Inter Milan, who beat Torino 3-2 thanks to a hat-trick from their French international forward Marcus Thuram. Juventus conceded their first goal of the campaign as they were held to a surprise 1-1 home draw by Cagliari on Sunday. Razvan Marin lashed home a late 88th-minute leveller from the penalty spot after Dusan Vlahovic’s first-half spot-kick had put the hosts ahead.
But Thiago Motta’s side, who were without Nicolas Gonzalez, Arkadiusz Milik, Timothy Weah and Gleison Bremer, were made to pay for a loss of intensity. “We took our foot off the pedal after our goal, and we can’t do that. We need to keep attacking, and attack well. What happened is all our own fault,” said Motta.