The Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper was the great figure in the Intercontinental Cup final against Flamengo, but his achievement had an unexpected detail that has only now become public. Matvey Safonov saved four of the five penalties taken by the Brazilian team and helped PSG win the trophy, using an unusual strategy.
The final was played in Qatar and ended in a 1-1 draw in regulation time, being decided by penalty shoot-out. It was there that the Russian goalkeeper shone, blocking shots from Saúl, Pedro, Léo Pereira and Araújo, leaving Flamengo unanswered and ensuring Paris’ 2-1 victory on penalties.
Images released after the meeting revealed the secret behind Safonov’s decisive performance. The goalkeeper took with him a face towel with a detailed cheat sheet, which included photographs of the Flamengo players and information about the side where each one tends to shoot most frequently. Before each penalty, Safonov discreetly consulted the towel, using these indications to anticipate his opponents’ movements.
Although it is common for goalkeepers to receive data from the technical team about penalty takers, usually written down on paper or glued to water bottles, Safonov opted for an innovative and effective method. The result was immediate and decisive, transforming the Russian into the hero of the final and guaranteeing another international trophy for PSG.
Every time a Flamengo player approached to take the penalty, Matvei Safonov consulted the towel with the kicker’s characteristics. 🧤📋
— Curiosidades Brasil (@CuriososBRL)
❤️💙🧤🇷🇺 Safonov’s magic towel!
— Paris No Limit (@Xparisnolimit)
