Thibaut Courtois Admits He Made Mistake In Real Madrid’s Defeat To Arsenal

Real Madrid’s goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, has expressed his regret over a critical mistake during his team’s UEFA Champions League quarter-final match against Arsenal, which ended in a disappointing 3-0 defeat on Tuesday night.

The match remained goalless until the second half when Declan Rice broke the deadlock with a stunning free-kick. Rice expertly curled the ball around the four-man defensive wall that Courtois had assembled, placing it perfectly into the back of the net.

The goal not only shifted the momentum in favor of Arsenal but also highlighted a significant oversight on the part of Courtois and the Madrid defense.

Adding to Real Madrid’s woes, Mikel Merino soon scored Arsenal’s third goal, cementing their dominant position in the match. The Gunners’ convincing performance brought them one step closer to advancing to the Champions League semi-finals.

In his post-match interview, Courtois took full responsibility for the crucial free-kick, acknowledging that his decision not to include an additional player in the wall ultimately cost his team. “I thought I had positioned the wall effectively,” Courtois told Movistar. “Normally, I would have put in an extra man to better defend against such situations.”

Reflecting on his decision, he added, “I take full responsibility for that moment. I underestimated Rice’s ability to get the right amount of curl on the shot.”

Courtois was also critical of the defensive lapses leading to the fouls that led to Arsenal’s goals. He noted, “The second goal was a fantastic strike, but we made unnecessary fouls when there was little danger. We need to be smarter in those situations.”