Donnarumma’s remarkable penalty shoot-out record – only three keepers better since 1974

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Hero of Anfield 

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Memories of the 2020 Euro finals returned on Tuesday evening, when Gianluigi Donnarumma became a penalty hero for Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield against Liverpool. The Italian saved two penalties in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 – just as he did four years ago for Italy against England at Wembley Stadium. In the past 50 years, only three goalkeepers who have participated in at least six penalty shootouts at professional level have a better win rate than the towering shot-stopper, as the transfermarkt database suggests.

According to the numbers, Donnarumma has an 85.7% win rate in penalty shoot-outs. He has secured victory from the penalty spot three times for his boyhood club AC Milan, twice for Italy – in the semifinals and final of Euro 2020 – and now for PSG in the Champions League. His only defeat in a penalty shoot-out came in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France against Nice in January 2022. In that instance, the Italian did save a penalty from Andy Delort, but Leandro Paredes and Xavi Simons failed to score from the spot for PSG.

Former Bayern Munich goalkeeper Jean-Marie Pfaff, who won eight of his eight penalty shoot-outs for Bayern, KSK Beveren, Trabzonspor, and the Belgian national team, and Leverkusen veteran Lukas Hradecky are the only keepers to have never lost a shoot-out in their careers. The Finn has won six of six penalty shootouts. Although his national team lost 6-7 on penalties to Latvia in 2012, however Hradecky was substituted at halftime in that game and missed out on losing his remarkably unbeaten record.

Dortmund and Rangers star Stefan Klos also has excellent records in penalty shoot-outs, having won 85.7% of the shoot-outs he took part in over the course of his career. Also on par with Donnarumma is Emiliano Martínez, who most fans will remember for his remarkable nerves in the 2022 World Cup final. Just below the duo are Szabolcs Sáfár, Rüştü Reçber, Burnley keeper Vaclav Hladky and former Arsenal shot-stopper Jens Lehman, who all won 83.3% of the penalty shoot-outs they took part in during their careers. Sáfár, who spent much of his career playing for Red Bull Salzburg and Austria Vienna, has won more penalty shoot-outs than any other keeper in our database, with 10 over the course of his career.