Real Madrid fans should feel relieved after Los Blancos picked up all three points on the road against Real Valladolid, posting their second tough 1-0 victory over them. The win comes on the same day that league leaders Atletico Madrid dropped all three points to tough customers Levante.
There are the three takeaways from Madrid’s clean sheet win over Valladolid.
Thank goodness for Thibaut Courtois
Thibaut Courtois was larger-than-life in this match. Real Valladolid came out swinging in the first ten minutes of the match with three shots on target, and Courtois had to make an exceptional double-save to make sure Real Madrid did not fall behind early. If he did not make both of those stops, Los Blancos may have lost this match.
He didn’t stop there, though. Courtois prevented an equalizer from La Liga veteran Fabian Orellana, who received the ball in the middle of the box after an embarrassing decision from left back Ferland Mendy, who basically crossed the ball into his own area without even considering the risk involved.
But Courtois was there to save the day, showing his reflexes and positioning.
The Belgian goalkeeper has been one of the three best keepers in the world since the start of 2020, having bounced back from a rough start to the 2019-2020 campaign. Since a nightmare against Club Brugge, Courtois has bounced back and re-established himself as one of the world’s best keepers. He was the Man of the Match against Real Valladolid, no doubt.