PSG/Flamengo – The magic towel that helped Safonov | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain won on penalties (1-1, then 3-1) against Flamengo (video summary PSG/Flamengo) this Wednesday in Doha as part of the 2025 Intercontinental Cup final. Matvey Safonov, a 26-year-old goalkeeper, made a strong impression by stopping 4 attempts from the opponent during the penalty shootout. This was with valuable help from the Parisian staff: additional instructions on his towel.

We have already seen several times bottles with attached sheets, which are sometimes discreetly thrown away by the opponent at the time of the penalty shootout to avoid a last-minute review. PSG used a towel, seemingly innocent, which allows the goalkeeper to be in the best conditions for these moments.

This was especially the case with the staff's instructions. A great deal of preparation beforehand, as the image does not clearly show, but the shooting zone preferences of each player are specified. It's another reminder that penalty shootouts are not just about luck, far from it. Especially at a high level, where studying the opponent is possible.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.