Visiting a fairy tale: what are the chances of Russian players in the European Cup finals

This week we will find out the finalists of three European club tournaments: the Champions League, the Europa League and the Conference League. And Russian football players can participate in two of the three finals. In particular, goalkeepers. Read more about what awaits Russian legionnaires in the Izvestia article.

Matvey Safonov (PSG, France)

After PSG became the French champion ahead of schedule this season, the Parisian head coach, Spaniard Luis Enrique, gave Matvey Safonov a chance to prove himself in two Ligue 1 matches. Alas, without the "crackers". And if Le Havre was defeated 2-1, then PSG suddenly lost to Strasbourg with exactly the same score. On the one hand, it makes no difference to them — they are already champions, but on the other hand, it's a shame for our guy, who was given the opportunity to demonstrate his reliability in goal. It didn't work out, but that's okay. And Gianluigi Donnarumma misses it too — no one is immune from this.

But still, for the second leg in the Champions League against Arsenal in London, as in the first, Enrique's choice will be in favor of the Italian rather than the Russian goalkeeper. It is understandable: at this stage of the tournament, there is no time for risks. Just two wins and the team will win the trophy.

Although you can draw with Arsenal. Fortunately, the team from Paris approaches the return game at home with a minimal, but still one-goal advantage, gained a week ago in London thanks to a goal by striker Ousmane Dembele at the very beginning of the meeting and five saves by Donnarumma. And the home field factor can also play a bit for PSG. The main thing is not to overdo it.

Besides, Arsenal has serious personnel problems. Injured defenders Gabriel, Riccardo Calafiori and Takehiro Tomiyasu, midfielder Jorginho, as well as forwards Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus will not help the Gunners in the second leg. Parisians are all healthy, which means they have a great chance to finish what they started and get a ticket to the finals. And there the winner of this pair will play with the best of the opposition of Barcelona and Inter.

The return match between PSG and Arsenal will take place on May 7 and will start at 22:00 Moscow time.

The British Frontier: what awaits Russian players in the European Cup semi-finals

Matvey Safonov's PSG will play Arsenal in the Champions League, and Nikita Khaykin's Buda-Glimt will play Tottenham in the Europa League.

Nikita Khaykin (Bude-Glimt, Norway)

Another Russian goalkeeper, Nikita Khaikin, is still struggling to reach the Europa League final and is not without losses. One of the main characters of the return leg of the 1/4 final against the Italian Lazio in Rome, who reflected two penalties in the post-match series, cannot yet restrain the more statuesque Tottenham. In the first match on their own field, the British won a landslide 3-1 victory, leaving their goal intact until the 83rd minute. Although it's not to say that Khaykin is to blame for all the missed goals. Nikita didn't have the worst match anyway, receiving a decent 7.0 rating from the <url> portal (only two of his teammates, midfielder Ulrik Saltnes and defender Jostein Gundersen, had a higher score). In this match, the Russian goalkeeper made four saves and intercepted one of the overhangs. However, as you know, one in the field is not a warrior.

There are two trends in the current Europa League playoffs for Buda-Glimt. The bad news is that since the relegation matches, the team has not won a single away victory. At the distance, the Norwegians lost 1-2 to the Dutch Twente and the Greek Olympiacos, and 1-3 to the Italian Lazio and the English Tottenham. But there is also a good pattern: in all previous stages, Budeglimt beat Twente, Olympiacos, and Lazio at home (and with a decent total score of 10:2). And even in the same quarterfinals with Lazio, even though it was the other way around (first Buda-Glimt won 2-0 at home, and then lost 1-3 away), the game went into extra time and then into a penalty shootout, where they ended up more precisely. The Norwegians.

In this regard, it is quite realistic to see a potential 2-0 from Buda-Glimt in the return game against Tottenham on their own field. If, of course, the opponent allows it. But it seems that even Khaykin's team is psychologically easier, oddly enough. Just because they've been in a similar situation in the spring more than once and know how to get out of it. So the Norwegian fairy tale can still go on. And our goalkeeper can become one of its main characters again. Manchester United (if they don't lose their three-goal advantage in the second leg at home against Athletic Bilbao) is waiting.

The return match between Buda-Glimt and Tottenham will take place on May 8 and will start at 22:00 Moscow time.