5 players Real Madrid can’t lose to injury in 2020

Real Madrid GK Thibaut Courtois

Alphonse Areola is a strong backup for Real Madrid, but there is a clear difference in quality between the PSG loanee and starter Thibaut Courtois. Although Areola briefly impressed in September and seemingly had an outside shot at starting, Courtois’ displays since then have made it clear that he is the top guy.

Courtois might even be the top guy in La Liga, given that nobody is averaging fewer goals allowed per 90 minutes or has a higher rate of clean sheets. The Belgian goalkeeper has had some vintage performances in 2019-2020, too, shutting down Getafe, keeping things together against Osasuna, and dominating Barcelona for a second time.

If Courtois were to go down, Real Madrid would have to turn to Areola. And that’s fine, but the margin for error decreases. Areola is a confident, solid keeper, but he isn’t capable of making the spectacular reflex saves or one-on-one stops that Courtois is. And as the penalty he surrendered to Granada in October shows, he is more prone to making bizarre mistakes than the increasingly steady Courtois.

Here are a couple of more comparative statistics, via FBRef.com. Courtois has a 74.7 percent save percentage, whereas Areola’s is a mere 65 percent. Less than a third of Areola’s starts end in clean sheets across all competitions, while nearly half of Courtois’ games result in clean sheets. Courtois averages 0.38 fewer goals per 90 minutes. He’s the guy.