Reflexes
- Mile Svilar made a terrible mistake on his Champions League debut against Manchester United at just 18 years old.
- Romelu Lukaku consoled the young goalkeeper and they would later become teammates at AS Roma.
- Svilar later struggled at Benfica, but is now developing into a top-class goalkeeper under Daniele De Rossi in Italy.
There are few roles in football that have the pressure that comes with being a goalkeeper. It is a thankless job that can go well or terribly wrong. Unfortunately for Mile Svilar, everything went horribly wrong when he faced Manchester United in the Champions League during the 2017-18 campaign. At just 18 years old he became the youngest goalkeeper to play in the competition.
Overall, his performance against the Red Devils wasn’t too bad. He made some interesting saves and handled United’s offensive game quite comfortably; However, he seemed unstable in the air, particularly when he handled crosses into the box. Despite a pretty solid performance overall, his hard work was completely undone after he put on an absolute howler to concede the only goal of the match.
After United won a free kick towards the left touchline, Marcus Rashford launched a fierce ball into the box and Svilar caught it fairly regularly. Sounds good, right? Well, unfortunately, the goalkeeper was moving backwards when he caught the ball and his momentum caused him to carry it into his own goal. It was a disastrous way to end what had been an impressive performance against the Red Devils, and it was hard not to feel sympathy for him afterwards. In fact, even some United players felt sorry for him.
The touching moment with Lukaku went viral
Lukaku spent time consoling Svilar after full time
Making that disastrous mistake in such a close match was heartbreaking for Svilar, and some of the United players sympathized with him after the match. Romelu Lukaku, in particular, spent time consoling the promising young goalkeeper after the final whistle.
It was a classy moment from the Belgian striker and one that quickly went viral when the footage surfaced online. While it was just a small gesture from the former United striker, it had a huge impact on the goalkeeper at the time.
However, Lukaku wasn’t the only Red Devil to take the time to speak to Svilar afterwards, as David de Gea was also seen speaking to his fellow goalkeeper. Despite being only 18 years old and making the mistake that caused his team to lose the match, the goalkeeper showed incredible bravery and maturity, conducting a post-match interview that night and refusing to shy away from the media.
It would have been easy for Svilar’s head to drop after the incident and his confidence to plummet, but he bounced back impressively. In fact, in his next match against Man Utd, he even managed to save a penalty.
What happened in your next match against Man Utd
Svilar lost 2-0 but saved a penalty
After making the costly mistake on his Champions League debut against United, the 18-year-old was determined to make a better impression of himself next time – and that’s what he did. Despite conceding two goals at Old Trafford in a 2-0 defeat, the teenager also had his moment to shine, saving a penalty from Anthony Martial.
The score was still tied at the time, which made for a huge moment for the goalkeeper. Of course, Svilar was left with egg on his face again, this time for scoring an own goal. After Nemanja Matic aimed from distance, his fierce shot beat the goalkeeper, but he hit the post. However, he came back and bounced off the 18-year-old’s back and into the net to give the Red Devils the lead.
There was nothing he could do, and the goal was not the result of a mistake he had made, it was simply bad luck and, for the second consecutive Champions League game, he found himself on the wrong end of an embarrassing mishap. . Svilar subsequently became the youngest goalkeeper to save a penalty in the Champions League, but also the youngest player to score an own goal.
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Svilar spent the next five years with Benfica
It was difficult for him to get minutes in the Portuguese league
Considering that he was entrusted with the Champions League at just 18 years old, one could assume that Svilar was destined for great things at Benfica. At the end of the day, it says a lot that the club uses someone so young to participate in such an important tournament. But things never took off for him in Portugal.
The Serbian spent five years at Benfica, but saw very limited action in the league during that time. In fact, most of his appearances were in cup competitions. However, he played only 22 times during his entire stay in Portugal and things did not go as many expected.
What happened to Svilar at AS Roma?
He rebuilt his reputation and flourished under De Rossi.
In a twist of fate, Svilar signed a deal with AS Roma in 2022, joining José Mourinho’s team in Italy. The Special One, coincidentally, had been United’s coach during the goalkeeper’s games against them in the Champions League when he was just 18 years old. Despite his howl, the Portuguese coach clearly saw potential in him.
Life came full circle last summer when Lukaku joined Roma on loan, reuniting with his former manager Mourinho, but also teaming up with the promising prospect whom he had consoled all those years before. The Belgian has also begun working with Roma, proving to be an instant success in the process.
Svilar, for his part, had to wait for his opportunities, playing just four times in his debut campaign at the club. He featured more in European competitions this season but was often overlooked by Mourinho in league matches in favor of 36-year-old Rui Patricio. However, everything changed when Mourinho was sacked in January and replaced by club legend Daniele De Rossi.
Under De Rossi’s management, Svilar is understood to have “surprised” both fans and club management with his unexpected promotion. According to Roma press, the 24-year-old is now set to become Roma’s new long-term goalkeeper and will be rewarded with a lucrative new contract.
Named Roma Player of the Month for May, it is clear that Svilar is in the best form of his career so far and shows signs of building on the huge potential he showed as a youngster. “For me, a very special season ends, with unique emotions that I have experienced for the first time in my career,” he told the club’s fans at the end of the 2023-24 campaign. “I can’t wait for next season to start.” . . Thank you very much Roma, you are special. See you soon.”
