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Former Tottenham and Southampton man shines in Champions League after Spurs let him go for free
Ange Postecoglou, speaking ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League clash with Rangers on Thursday night, almost sounded in disbelief when discussing the ongoing injury crisis facing him.
Spurs have just one senior centre-half at their disposal headi🔴ng to Ibrox.
With Micky van de Ven, Ben Davies and Cristian Romero on the sidelines, Postecoglou indicated Archie Gray could start aga𝄹inst Rangers in an unfamiliar central defensive role.
Richarlison and Wilson Odobert are unavailable too. And, following Mikey 𝔉Moore’s coming-of-age performance against AZ Alkmaar earlier in the group stage, the whizzkid winger has been unable to build on his stunning breakthrough du♍e to an illness which has laid him low since early November.
As for Guglielmo Vicario, Tottenham’s number one will be out for ‘months’ – to ♋quote Postecoglou – with a fractured ankle.
“I’ve never lost a goalkeeper for this period of time,” Postecoglou sighed as the former Celtic ♚boss prepares to return to Ibrox for the first time since May 2023.
Fortunately, Fraser Forster has been pretty outstanding so far in place of Vicario. Another one-time Tottenham number two, meanwhile, is enjoying quite the renaissance of his own, Paulo Gazzaniga a regular both in La Liga and the Champions League these ꧃days.
Former Tottenham and Southampton man Paulo Gazzaniga shines in Champions League
Now, Girona’s Champions 💟League campaign may be ending rather prematurely – Michel’s team have just one point from six matches – but their talismanic shot-stopper can at least look back on his own European campaign with plenty of pride.
Gazzanꦦiga saved three penalties in one g⛎ame as Girona beat Athletic Bilbao back in October.
There were to be no spot-kick heroics this time around however – Mo Salah scored the winner as Girona lost 1-0 to ဣLiverpool at the Montilivi – but the scoreline could have been a lot more lopsided if it wasn’t꧅ for Gazzaniga’s sharp reactions between the sticks.
Only four goalkeepers in this season’s Champions League – including Aston Villa’s Emi Martinez and AC Milan’s ‘Ma𒀰gic’ Mike Maignan – have made more saves in the league phase than Gazzaniga.
Six o🏅f those 27 came against Arne Slot’s Liverpool.
Gazzaniga, who spent two years at Fulham after the Argentine left Tottenham on a free transfer back in 2021, denied Joe Gomez from point-blank range with ju🌳st three minutes on the clock.
Darwin Nunez twice failed to find a way past a man who fell behind Ber﷽nd Leno and Marek Rodak at Craven Cottage, while Trent Alexander-Arnold saw a trademark free-kick batted away near the final whistle.
While Salah may have swept home his match-winning penalty with consummate clas꧙s, Gazzaniga proved to be unbeatable from ✱open play.
Gazzaniga and Alisson both shine in Champions League clash
“Paulo Gazzaniga [was] very attentive between the posts to prevent goals from Joe﷽ Gomez and Darwin Nunez,” Spanish publication wrote at full-time, the Girona keeper going toe-to-toe with Liverpool’s Alisson Becker on a night in which the two glovesman stood head and shoulders above the rest.
“🎐Both Gazzaniga and Alisson were f🌃undamental. Gazzaniga had to intervene on a few more occasions to prevent the score from increasing in favour of the visitors.”
Now, Gazzaniga appears to have something in f💜or Liverpo💮ol.
Back in October 2019, Spurs travelling to a Liverpool side already well clear in the Premier League title race without regular number one Hugo Lloris, were forced to hand the seldom-seen G🍃azzaniga only his seventh top-flight appearance for the North Lo💧ndon outfit.
They needn’t have worried. A man who started his English football career with Southampton pulled off 12 saves in a narrow 2-1 defeat. The most by any Premier League goalkeeper since David de Gea’s iconic performance against Arsenal thꦇree years earlier.
So, after his latest Liverpool masterclass, if the Reds faithful never see Gazzaniga again, that will only b♎e too soo෴n.
