Incoming Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili saved a penalty and was named man of the match as his current club Valencia beat Real Madrid on Saturday.
Mamardashvili, who officially arrives in a £29 million move this summer, has had a tough season with a Valencia side who were perilously close to the relegation zone going into the match at the Bernabeu.
But the Georgian No.1 was key to gaining a valuable and impressive three points against Carlo Ancelotti’s side, earning an impressive 9.1 rating with FotMob.
Mamardashvili made an incredible eight saves, preventing 2.28 goals according to data.
One of those saves included Vinicius Junior’s 13th minute penalty, saving with his legs low down to his left.
That was at 0-0, and Valencia took the lead a minute later thanks to Mouctar Diakhaby’s header.
Real equalised through Vinicius in the second half but a late Hugo Duro goal deep into stoppage time gave Mamardashvili’s side an unlikely win.
Among the ‘keeper’s highlight reel was an acrobatic save to deny Kylian Mbappe from distance, and a cat-like claw to deny Federico Valverde from close range. A superb low block that was quite Alisson-like denied Antonio Rudiger a late equaliser.
It was a massive win for Valencia and moves them seven points clear of the relegation zone, having played a game more than the bottom three.
Mamardashvili took to social media post-match to show his shinpads which sported the words: ‘Be a game changer. The world is full of players.’ He clearly has an elite mentality.
Mamardashvili eyeing Liverpool No.1 spot
Last month Mamardashvili outlined his aims of going to Liverpool to compete as first-choice, not as a backup to Alisson.
“I am going to Liverpool to fight for the No. 1 spot,” he insisted.
“I will go there to train at my best and I don’t know what they will decide afterward. I don’t decide who plays and who doesn’t.”
The 24-year-old has made his ambitions clear, also saying in October that his sights are set on the first-choice role “even if the current goalkeeper does not leave.”
It opens an interesting conundrum this summer, but with Caoimhin Kelleher expected to leave, the likelihood is that Liverpool will keep Alisson for another year and allow Mamardashvili a year before taking over as the first-choice.
