Paulo Gazzaniga saves three penalties for Spanish side Girona –the former Gillingham man denied three different players from Athletic Bilbao at Estadi Montilivi
10:00, 07 October 2024
updated: 10:00, 07 October 2024
Gillingham’s former goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga has made headlines again - this time for the right reasons.
A last-minute own-goal proved costly for the Argentine stopper and his Girona team in their Champions League opener against PSG last month but this weekend he was the hero.
On Sunday, Gazzaniga made a hat-trick of penalty saves for the Spanish side against Athletic Bilbao.
Facing three different players, he denied them all, the 32-year-old keeping out Alex Berenguer’s effort in the first half and both Inaki Williams and Ander Herrera in the second.
Former Manchester United midfielder Herrera had stepped up for the retaken kick after Gazzaniga had been adjudged to have left his line when saving Williams’ kick.
His team went on to win the match 2-1 thanks to a stoppage-time penalty of their own.
Gazzaniga had also saved a penalty in the week, during their Champions League loss against Feyenoord.
The goalkeeper started his career in England with Gillingham before a big-money move to Southampton in 2012 and then later a move to Tottenham.
Those saves came a day before the 10-year anniversary of Stuart Nelson’s penalty heroics for the Gills.
Nelson had saved two penalty kicks in a shootout against Colchester United in the EFL Trophy on October 7, 2014, before stepping up and scoring the winning spot-kick himself.
Unfortunately, while speaking to the press afterwards the team bus left him behind at the ground and he had to get a lift from the KentOnline reporter!
Latest news
Features
Most popular
- 1
‘Plumbers charged my elderly relatives £8,560 but settled on £765 when challenged’
22 - 2
Video captures panic as fireworks display goes wrong and ‘boy’s face burnt’
11 - 3
Where 11,000 new homes could be built in district
28 - 4
Family-run garage closes for final time after 92 years of trade
4 - 5
Kent pub 'surrounded by sheep' named one of UK's best to visit in autumn
3