Real Madrid Stock Watch: Thibaut Courtois leads the way

Rising: GK Thibaut Courtois

Following Real Madrid’s 1-0 loss to Mallorca on Saturday, an ugly statistic about Thibaut Courtois’ goalkeeping started to make waves around the Internet. Someone pointed out that Courtois had allowed more goals than he saved in the season, causing some to wonder when he’d finally be benched for Alphonse Areola.

This statistic failed to note that Areola has suffered a similar issue, because the discrepancy between goals allowed and saves is a more damning indictment on the number of defensive breakdowns Real have suffered. Normally, they are astute defensively, but when they allow an opportunity to the opposition, it’s generally a gift on a counter that the goalkeeper can do nothing about.

Real Madrid played a grittier game in Istanbul on Tuesday, and Courtois was called upon frequently. He rose to the challenge, keeping Real in the game and keeping a crucial clean sheet in what was likely his best performance of the season.

Quietly, Courtois has come up big a few times this season with key saves, including near the end of a 3-2 win over Levante. This was a complete performance from Courtois, who has admittedly been mediocre this season. But Courtois took a step in the right direction, and, for that, fans should thank him for shining in a big game despite the narrative being fully against him succeeding.