Matthijs de Ligt can look forward to a very special thank you after his rescue in the Champions League round of 16 second leg against Paris St. Germain. “I’ll put a truck of Swiss chocolate in front of his door,” said goalkeeper Yann Sommer after Bayern Munich’s 2-0 (0-0) win with a relaxed smile.
The Swiss national keeper lost the ball while dribbling and had to watch helplessly as PSG professional Vitinha shot past him at the orphaned goal. “Losing the ball was a heart attack,” said sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic.
But de Ligt saved with a tackle on the line (38th). “It was nicer than a goal,” said the Dutchman – and that he “loves the promised sweets. But not too much!”
According to Thomas Müller, however, one truck is not enough, the captain laughingly asked for “a double one” for the defensive hero. Sommer found it “outstanding how he thinks and saves the situation”.
President Herbert Hainer praised: “Matthijs is incredibly stable, he wins almost every header duel, he made great saves. I didn’t even know he was that fast.“
And coach Julian Nagelsmann enthused: “Matthijs loves to defend. There are so many defenders who stop running because they say: ‘It’s over.’ Nine out of ten stay put.“
De Ligt kept running. Why? “Never give up, that’s my moto,” he said, “I’m a defender who always gives it my all.“