GdS: Maignan’s penalty save not left to chance – how he got the better of Calhanoglu

There were a lot of moments from the Derby della Madonnina this weekend. AC Milan got the better of them, but one may last longer than the others.

Mike Maignan was pivotal to the latest derby win; he made countless saves, but the biggest was from 12 yards, where he stopped former Rossonero Hakan Calhanoglu. Penalty saves are rare, but this was not a case of getting lucky.

Fate not fortune

Gazzetta dello Sport writes that the save was not left to chance, and he did three things to prevent the Turkish midfielder from scoring.

As Calhanoglu prepared, Maignan changed his own tactics, protesting the penalty a little, rather than what he had done in the past. Calm, present and ready to face what the opposition had to give to him. Different from trying to put him off, placing the pressure on the taker.

The Frenchman then stepped to his left, opening up the side which the Inter player normally goes – and goes successfully, too; he has scored two in the derby from the spot. Doing this got into his head, especially as Maignan then returned to the centre of the goal as he stepped up.

A feint to his left preceded a dive to his right, and the rest is history. A moment to enter derby history, a moment completely controlled by the Rossoneri’s ‘keeper.

Given what surrounds Maignan at the moment, the sweetness of the save is also mixed with regret.