Barcelona goalkeeper reveals how he was able to stop Mbappe’s penalty in El Clasico | OneFootball

Among all the low points of Barcelona’s defeat to Real Madrid last Sunday, Wojciech Szczesny’s save to prevent Kylian Mbappe from scoring a penalty was perhaps one of the few bright spots.

The Polish goalkeeper was the star for Barcelona during the defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu. His save, diving correctly to stop Kylian Mbappe’s shot, prevented Real Madrid from starting the second half with a commanding two-goal lead.

In an interview on Barcelona’s YouTube channel, Szczesny revealed the extensive homework it took for him to make the save.

Szczesny on saving Mbappe’s penalty

“I study a lot. Before each match, I watch the last 20 penalties taken by the two or three main penalty takers,” Szczesny said.

“Sometimes you pick up information during their career. Some shoot differently depending on the moment in the match or the score. I try to have as much information as possible,” he added.

When it came to Mbappe, Szczesny recalled their last penalty duel, the second-leg Clasico at Montjuic last season.

“It was quite obvious, he scored the last penalty against me, taking it like that,” he said. “He was in a good moment of confidence; I knew he would choose the same side. Then you have to pray to reach the ball.”

The goalkeeper, whose role as Barcelona’s main goalkeeper may diminish soon, with Joan Garcia vying for a comeback soon, also emphasised that one of the things that helps him perform best is meditation and controlling his emotions.

Szczesny’s penalty save to deny Mbappe was a work of art. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

“I disconnect from my emotions on the field; emotions don’t help me. After the Clasico, everyone was arguing, and I was thinking, ‘Come on, we only lost one game,” he said.

“I do breathing exercises before every match and at halftime. I don’t care if people are looking at me in the locker room. I recommend working on your breathing in extreme conditions, in the cold and the heat,” he added.

Szczesny on his teammates

Szczesny also shared some thoughts on his teammates. He noted that Robert Lewandowski “doesn’t know how to lose when playing ping-pong,” even though he’s not bad at it. “He’s always making excuses,” he revealed.

The Pole also admitted that Barcelona’s new signing, Marcus Rashford, has impressed him this season.

“When he was 18, he came onto the Premier League scene, and I thought he had something special. In training, when he’s on form, he’s unstoppable. We saw it in Newcastle; he pulled off a shot out of nowhere. He’s very talented,” he said.

Szczesny has been captivated by the talent in La Masia as well, heaping praise on Barcelona’s youth system.

“Every player from La Masia who comes to train is technically impressive. This is the club that has impressed me the most in this respect,” he remarked.

“The challenge for them is getting playing time. Not all of them are as good as Lamine was at 16. Sometimes you have to go and find experience elsewhere.”

Finally, when asked about the five best goalkeepers in history, he didn’t shy away from including himself: “Buffon, Yashin, Neuer, the best version of Cech… and I’d include myself too.”