Former Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea has had a brilliant performance for his new club Fiorentina, helping the Italian team secure a ticket to the Conference League group stage in 2024/25.
De Gea becomes a hero, helping Fiorentina secure a ticket to the Conference League
Fiorentina faced Puskas Academy in the match for a ticket to the Conference League group stage. In the first leg, De Gea did not play well when the Hungarian team scored 3 times to end the match with a 3-3 draw at Fiorentina’s home field.
However, in the second leg, De Gea had a performance that recalled the peak of his career. The Spanish goalkeeper had a great match with a series of great reflexes.
According to statistics, De Gea made 8 saves for Fiorentina, including 4 really dangerous opportunities from Puskas Academy. The Spanish goalkeeper saved Artem Favorov’s free-kick, pushed away a long-range shot from Nagy, faced Cristiano Biraghi’s free-kick that went wide, and blocked Colpani’s volley.
In extra time, De Gea made two more saves. His impressive saves helped the visitors send the match into a lucky penalty shootout.
De Gea’s great day did not end there. In the penalty shootout, De Gea shone by flying to block a shot from Puskas Academy captain Roland Szolnoki. That was also the only missed shot of the shootout. Thanks to that, Fiorentina won 5-4, thereby earning a ticket to the Conference League.
De Gea left MU last summer after 12 years at Old Trafford. After spending last season unemployed, De Gea recently agreed to join Fiorentina, signing a 1-year contract with the option to extend for another year.
De Gea spoke up to explain his decision to join Fiorentina: “I received many offers but I wanted to play in Italy. The negotiation was very simple, Fiorentina was the best choice. Many people want to see me play again, that’s a good sign.”