Real Madrid lost 3-0 against Arsenal in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal. In the disappointing loss, almost every Real Madrid player looked lost, showing little conviction or fight. It was a total failure as a team, with no clear tactics visible throughout the match.
Only a few of them put in a competitive performance and one of them is the reason Los Blancos escaped the Emirates Stadium with just a three-goal deficit.
We’re talking about Thibaut Courtois. The Belgian goalkeeper once again proved why he is the best goalkeeper in the world at present. It’s rare for a team to concede three goals and still have their goalkeeper emerge as the best player on the pitch, but that’s exactly the kind of impact Courtois had against Arsenal.
Real Madrid GK Thibaut Courtois showed why he is the best in the world despite conceding three
Courtois was nothing short of sensational in goal. Without him, Real Madrid could have easily gone down by at least six goals heading into the second leg. What makes his performance even more impressive is that this was his first match back after an injury that had kept him sidelined for 17 days.
The Belgian keeper made five crucial saves, along with two punches and four successful claims. While he conceded two goals from direct free-kicks, let’s be honest, no goalkeeper in the world would’ve saved those. Courtois made every possible save, keeping a flicker of hope alive for Los Blancos in the second leg.
Courtois is the best keeper in the world at this moment and it’s not even close. His performance against Arsenal has only proven this once more.
In the first leg, Courtois did his part. Real Madrid will now host Arsenal at the Santiago Bernabeu for the second leg. Courtois can only give his best in front of goal, the rest of the Real Madrid team will have to do the rest and score goals.
The Real Madrid players need to come onto the pitch with all guns blazing for Los Blancos to even have a chance at a comeback. We hope to witness another miraculous turnaround from Real Madrid in the second leg.