Real Madrid: An early prediction for the strongest 2020-21 starting XI
By Parshva Shah
Goalkeeper – Thibaut Courtois
It is a no-brainer that the towering custodian will be first-choice to start in goal. Thibaut Courtois had a majestic turnaround of fortunes after displaying a poor run of form during the first few weeks of the campaign.
His status as the first-choice keeper was under scrutiny as the slump in his form coincided with Alphonse Areola making the most of the limited opportunities given to him. A large section of fans called for Areola to be given more opportunities to lay claim to be the starting goalkeeper as the frustrations with the Belgian seemed to have reached a saturation point.
He was booed by his own fans and that certainly dented his confidence but didn’t dampen his spirits. Courtois returned with a sitzfleisch that conjured magic between the sticks every time he was called into action.
The Belgian proved his mettle and won the hearts of the fans with stellar performances in his kitty. Who can forget the stoppage time header against Valencia that resulted in a rebound falling to Karim Benzema which he fired into the back of the net to equalize and leave the Mestalla with a 1-1 draw?
With just 20 goals conceded in 34 appearances, he won the Zamora Trophy as he registered 18 clean sheets and steered Real Madrid to the best defensive record for the club over a 38-game league campaign.
The Zamora Trophy was a sweet reward for his hard work and perseverance in addition to the league victory: a complete 180 degree turn around from the 2018-19 season.