According to reports, Wojciech Szczęsny has been one of the surprises of the 2024/25 season due to his unexpected performance. A few months ago, he had retired from football after his contract with Juventus ended in June 2024, but an injury to Marc-André ter Stegen forced him to put on his gloves again. After several months with Iñaki Peña as Barcelona’s goalkeeper, the Polish shot-stopper has now cemented his place as the first-choice keeper.

Now, with ter Stegen’s return, he faces one of his most crucial matches since joining Barcelona: the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan. The 3-3 draw in the first leg showed how tight the competition was. Therefore, Barça must deliver their best performance to avoid any surprises.

The 34-year-old Szczęsny is experiencing a revival under Hansi Flick’s management. He joined to fill in for ter Stegen and has conceded 29 goals in 27 matches with outstanding performances. However, the German goalkeeper’s return could mean Szczęsny’s farewell from La Liga and the Champions League, as he was only registered due to ter Stegen’s injury. If ter Stegen is reinstated, Szczęsny might be removed from the squad.

Penalties Saved by Wojciech Szczęsny
Szczęsny has played in three of Europe’s top five leagues with Arsenal, Roma, Juventus, and Barcelona. Along the way, he has proven his penalty-saving prowess, stopping 12 penalties during regular play. The last time he saved a penalty was in March 2024, when he denied Victor Osimhen in a match where Napoli defeated Juventus.

On the other hand, 58 penalties have been scored against him. Thus, his success rate stands at 17.14%, excluding penalties that went wide, as he has saved 12 out of 70 penalties faced.

Tonight, in the second leg against Inter, anything is possible, and the match could go to penalties—where the Polish goalkeeper’s expertise might come in handy for Barcelona.