Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is riding a streak of four straight clean sheets, and it’s time to start pondering whether or not he’s on his way to reestablishing himself as one of Europe’s top keepers.
Years ago when Thibaut Courtois plied his trade at Chelsea, he was regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. There was a consensus that Courtois was one of the truly world-class keepers in Europe, and he increased this reputation so much that there was a serious debate pitting him and Manchester Untied’s David de Gea in his final year at Stamford Bridge.
But Courtois lost that reputation quickly after completing a high-priced move to Real Madrid. Though he displaced Keylor Navas as the team’s regular starter, there were always fans pining for Navas to get the start over the Belgian international.
Courtois bottomed out in 2019, as there was about a six-month period in which he failed to record a clean sheet. After Real finished third in La Liga and tumbled out of the Champions League, Courtois – along with Gareth Bale – entered the 2019-2020 campaign as possible scapegoats if Real were to stumble.
Despite Real’s solid defensive record, Courtois was pinpointed as a liability in goal. It all came to a head in October when Real Madrid allowed two first-half goals to Club Brugge in an embarrassing 2-2 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu. Courtois was subbed off at half-time with a stomach bug, which some fans took as a sign that he could not cope with the pressure of being Los Blancos’ starting keeper – a sentiment that was undoubtedly fueled by irresponsible speculation by some segments of the media outside Madrid.
Yet Courtois has shown over the past several weeks that he can indeed hold up to the pressure of being Real Madrid’s first-choice keeper. He’s quietly shown his class in Real’s past four games, as he’s currently on a running streak of four straight clean sheets, including an especially important performance when Real stole a 1-0 victory over Galatasaray in Istanbul.
Even in games in which Real’s defense keeps the opposition completely under wraps, Courtois shows off his quality by making a big save. He made a point-blank stop in Real’s 6-0 win over Galatasaray to preserve the team’s clean sheet and never once lost focus despite the huge lead. Some keepers would have a let-off, but Courtois was determined to keep another clean sheet.
The 27-year-old has responded incredibly well to the pressure on him over the past few weeks, and he’s looked exactly like the keeper who established himself as a top-three player at the position for Chelsea and Belgium. Courtois’ class has never left him, and he’s looked far more confident of late, perhaps because the midfield and defense in front of him looks more composed.
Real Madrid fans won’t want to get their hopes up too quickly, but it looks like Courtois is starting to fulfill his potential as a game-changing and consistently excellent goalkeeper for the club. At his best, Courtois is undoubtedly world class, and it looks like Los Blancos are starting to see what the man can do when he is at his best.