Courtois sends warning to Barcelona as Real Madrid prepare for El Clasico
· Yahoo Sports
Real Madrid kept up their perfect record in this UEFA Champions League campaign as they beat RB Leipzig 4-1 in their third League Phase game. Several players stood out for the Merengue side in this game, but despite the margin with which they won, it was not really an easy game.
One of these players who impressed in this game was the goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, as he had to make several interventions, especially in the first half, to keep the visitors from scoring. However, he was still unable to keep a clean sheet as the Germans scored one goal in the second half.
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As MARCA has reported, the Belgian veteran also talked to the media after the game. He was quite confident for the upcoming game against Barcelona, especially after the team’s recent good run of form:
“I think we’ve played some good matches, picked up some good wins and made a great comeback in Rome. We’re confident about what lies ahead, and we know it’s going to be a tough match. But if we want to close the gap in the league, we’ll have to go there and win.”
“You never know until you actually play the match. I think we’re in a good place and full of confidence. They’ve been doing very well in the league, but I believe in our team and think we can go there and win. It’s true that we’re playing away from home, and that makes a difference, but I believe in our team. For me, Clásicos are always 50-50, even when one team comes into the match in better form than the other.”
The Real Madrid captain put his support behind Vinicius Junior after another underwhelming performance from the Brazilian:
“No, I think he’s looking to get back to his best, and I’m sure he’ll get there with the support of the team and the fans. I think he played well. I saw him making dangerous runs and creating threats, but things don’t always go your way.
“There are only two players I know of who have been at their best almost every season: Cristiano and Messi. I’ve watched them perform at that level year after year, and even two of the greatest players in history have been criticised at various points. That’s football. I think Vinícius has been playing almost every game for nine years, so we have to help him get back to his best. But he’s the first to be happy, enjoy himself and work towards reaching his best level.”
While admitting that Real Madrid have struggled away from home, the goalie also pointed to the team’s improving form ahead of a stretch of away games:
“Home and away matches are always different, and we’ve found it more difficult to get results away from home, in places like Spain, Rome and Elche, followed by the two defeats against Betis. I think we deserved more against Betis. We lost, but we played well.
“It’s true that we need to improve away from home, but I think we’re doing well now that we’re back after the international break. We’ll be eager for Sunday and for what lies ahead, because we have four away matches coming up, and if we don’t want to lose touch in the league, these next three matches are crucial.”
Taking a different line from his manager and the club, Courtois put his trust in referees ahead of the match against Barcelona:
“No, because I trust the referees. I believe they go into matches intending to do the best they can, and they’re human beings who can make mistakes. However, we hope those mistakes aren’t always made in favour of one side rather than the other.
“When VAR intervenes, we hope it’s for the kinds of incidents it was introduced to deal with. When it was introduced in 2018, the idea was to intervene in very clear-cut situations, but I feel it gets involved too often in La Liga.
“We spend an hour at the start of the season listening to the referees explain the rules, only for them to make mistakes and do the opposite a week later. But I’m an optimistic person, and I want to believe that referees always go onto the pitch with honest intentions. As I said, they can make mistakes, which is why VAR exists. That’s all.”
Thibaut Courtois will once again have to be at his best as Real Madrid are set to face one of the strongest teams in Europe this Sunday. Hopefully, he will be able to keep a clean sheet in that game, and help the Merengues get a win over their bitter rivals.