Two players in particular will be feeling the pressure in this weekend’s Derby d’Italia, the goalkeepers taking to the pitch in Inter’s clash with Juventus – Yann Sommer and Wojciech Szczesny.
No role in football has such dizzying heights and depressing lows than the one between the posts, a player capable of saving a last-second penalty to ensure victory or spilling the ball to gift a late winner.
Whilst there’s always a certain amount of pressure on goalkeepers in topflight football, things are a little different for Sommer and Szczesny this weekend.
Inter’s derby clash with Juventus could ultimately prove to be the turning point in the title race this season, with just a point separating the rivals, and both teams will be feeling the tension as they prepare to enter the San Siro pitch on Sunday evening.
Of the two veteran goalkeepers set to start in the coming Derby d’Italia, the elder Sommer is paradoxically less experienced in the matchup than Szczesny, having arrived just last summer, but he will still be feeling confident ahead of the duel.
The 35-year-old Swiss shot stopper has kept 13 clean sheets and conceded just 10 goals in 21 Serie A games this term, with his only major error being the first goal in the 2-1 defeat to Sassuolo back in September.
Sommer has been an incredibly safe pair of hands in Simone Inzaghi’s squad this season, saving an impressive 86.7% of the 60 shots on target faced. Whilst this is also partly thanks to his defence, his +5.5 PSxG-GA (Post-Shot Expected Goals minus Goals Allowed) displays how he’s singlehandedly made the difference on a number of occasions across the campaign.
The graph also clearly signposts how the Swiss goalkeeper has been instructed to play by Inzaghi, focusing almost exclusively on short passes out to his defence when possible, showing comfort with the ball at his feet.
Things have been a little more difficult for Szczesny, who has entered the last 18 months of his contract with Juventus. The Polish veteran has continued to be a regular starter in Turin but it’s clear he’s not considered a future piece of Massimiliano Allegri’s project at the club.
The 33-year-old has performed fairly well across the season, apart from a disastrous match against Sassuolo in September, keeping 11 clean sheets and conceding 12 goals across 20 Serie A games.
Compared to his Inter counterpart, Szczesny’s graph looks a little more well-rounded, mostly thanks to his increased usage of long balls and willingness to sprint from his line to intercept crosses. He has also continued to be a reliable shot stopper, saving 78.9% of the 57 shots on target faced.
Whilst the Polish veteran hasn’t been the most in-form goalkeeper in the Italian topflight this term, he has still been a consistent figure for Allegri, succeeding in the requested style and keeping errors to a relative minimum.
Sommer and Szczesny both have a key role to play in the coming Derby d’Italia, being experienced and reliable veterans of their squads, and they’ll need to have a strong command of their defence and mental focus to avoid disaster in one of the most important matches of the season.