Vergeley Cheers as Donnarumma's Stunning Performance Defeats Opponents in Champions League Replay!
Donnarumma tells Capello ‘first thing I thought’ before Valverde’s goal Italy captain Gianluigi Donnarumma reveals why he pulled his arm back before Federico Valverde’s first goal during last week’s Champions League match against Real Madrid: ‘The first thing I thought was to do as little damage as possible. ’ Donnarumma’s Manchester City have been eliminated from the Champions League Round of 16 by Real Madrid, suffering a 5-1 aggregate defeat. Donnarumma’s post-match interview after Man City 1-2 Real Madrid The Premier League giants lost both ties against the Merengues, first 3-0 in Madrid and then 2-1 in Manchester.
Federico Valverde scored a hat-trick at the Bernabeu last week, with his first goal coming after a dribble past Donnarumma. The goalkeeper rushed off his line but didn’t touch the ball at the edge of the box, likely wary of handling the ball outside the area. During a post-match interview with Sky Sport Italia on Tuesday, ex-Milan and England coach Capello asked Donnarumma about his decision to move that way.
MADRID, SPAIN – MARCH 11: Gianluigi Donnarumma of Manchester City celebrates after saving a penalty by Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid (not pictured) during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg match between Real Madrid CF and Manchester City FC at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on March 11, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images) “The first goal you conceded in Madrid. Why didn’t you stretch out your hand?
Did you think that you were outside the box? ” Capello asked. “It was so fast that the first thing I thought was to do as little damage as possible and get out of my way as much as I could,” Donnarumma replied.
MADRID, SPAIN – MARCH 11: Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid is fouled by Gianluigi Donnarumma of Manchester City which leads to a penalty to Real Madrid during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg match between Real Madrid CF and Manchester City FC at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on March 11, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) “My goal was to move out of the way and not harm the team. Even watching the replay, I saw that the ball was close to my hand, but at normal speed, everything is much harder.