David de Gea produced a Man of the Match performance as nine-man Fiorentina qualified for the Europa Conference League on Thursday evening, beating Hungarian side Puskas Academia in a dramatic penalty shootout. It was the 33-year-old's second appearance in 18 months after leaving Manchester United in 2022. But while one could be forgiven for expecting him to take time to get back to speed, it appears he has fit right in to life in Italy.
Although faced with an uphill battle from the offset, with the Serie A side having three players sent off , including Lucas Martinez Quarta, who was given a straight red card in extra time, even when he wasn't on the pitch, the Spaniard came up trumps, just a week after a disastrous debut performance against the same opposition. His first match after leaving Manchester United in 2023 did not go to plan. David de Gea's Heroics During his time at Man United, De Gea did not have the best record when it came to saving penalties, facing 33 spot-kicks in the Premier League and stopping only four.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: At one point during his tenure at Old Trafford, the Spanish goalkeeper went nine years without saving a penalty, finally breaking his drought by stopping Mark Noble's attempt in a 2-1 win against West Ham in 2021. Needless to say, his debut for Fiorentina was one that only exacerbated concerns over how well he could perform after a career break, too. De Gea conceded two goals in the opening 12 minutes against the European minnows during the first-leg of last night's qualification game - one of which was a penalty.
In the second leg, though, that performance was quickly forgotten about. De Gea made eight saves during the game to force the lottery of a shootout, despite Fiorentina being reduced to nine men. Then he went on to save a crucial penalty in the shootout to help Fiorentina win and book a place in the Conference League finals.
A Man of the Match performance that got everyone talking. Some of the Spaniard's saves were different class. He showed he hasn't lost his lightning-quick reactions, despite spending an entire year without a professional football club.
Check out these saves: De Gea received a 9.5 rating for his masterclass and endeared himself to the Fiorentina faithful in the process. They will now be feeling confident they've signed a goalkeeper with world-class ability.
De Gea's Return to Football Football fans far and wide, particularly of the Old Trafford persuasion, would have welcomed De Gea's heroic performance with open arms. Winning no less than four Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year awards, there was a time when the shot-stopper was one of the best in the business. And although his end-of-career slump meant he was the centre of ridicule before he was released by the Red Devils upon the conclusion of the 2021/22 campaign, De Gea still goes down as a Premier League legend.
No better is this showcased than in December 2017, when his 14 saves against Arsenal broke the league record as his side pulled off a remarkable 3-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium. Now, after 18 months away from the sport he conquered at various flashpoints throughout his career, the 33-year-old has returned, and the beautiful game is much better for it..
