Geronimo Rulli's crucial saves in a penalty shootout have bolstered his standing with Manchester City supporters. The goalkeeper's performance echoes his heroics in the 2021 Europa League final, where he scored a decisive penalty for Villarreal against Manchester United and subsequently saved the opposing goalkeeper's spot-kick to secure the trophy.
Rulli, who had a prior spell at City during the 2016-17 season without a first-team appearance, rejoined the club to serve as backup to Gianluigi Donnarumma. This move appears to be a prudent decision by the club.
Manager Enzo Maresca had stated before the match that Rulli was "doing well" and "knows exactly his role" as the understudy. This sentiment was reinforced following the team's victory.
Donnarumma, along with other key players like Erling Haaland, Ruben Dias, Elliot Anderson, and Josko Gvardiol, has been granted three days off to recover. Maresca hopes for their rejuvenated return to training.
Despite Donnarumma's recent struggles, including an error that contributed to Aston Villa's second goal last weekend, Maresca acknowledged that the goalkeeper "has been making some mistakes." However, Maresca's focus remains on Donnarumma as the established number one.
Regarding Rulli's performance, Maresca commented, "Apart from penalties, overall he was good especially in the build-up." He noted the difficulty of playing against an aggressive, man-to-man defense, and praised Rulli for making a key save and performing well in the game. Rulli's contribution in the shootout was instrumental in securing the win.