The kick-off in Camp Nou will take place at 4:00 pm. It promises to be a top duel between Ronald Koeman’s Barcelona and Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid. Red Devil Thibaut Courtois is, barring surprises, between the posts at the Royal and will therefore have to stop Lionel Messi, among others. “He is one of the best players in history, just like Cristiano Ronaldo,” said Courtois in ‘El Mundo Deportivo’. “You try to find a pattern in how he finishes and takes on goalkeepers, but Messi can surprise at any moment. It is a special football player. It’s nice to face those players, stop them and then be able to tell my children and later grandchildren. ”
Courtois calls the duel against Barça “special”. “These are matches you dream of. Hopefully I can help the team win. It is the first battle between the two greats. Of course the season is still long and there are just three points to be earned like every week, but this game is important for our confidence and our pride. ”
They could use a confidence boost at Real. After defeats in the league against Cádiz (0-1) and in the Champions League against Shakhtar Donetsk (2-3), the Royal is heading to Camp Nou in crisis. The position of Zinedine Zidane is even gradually being called into question. Nevertheless, Courtois remains optimistic. “I see a good team. The team is united, we are strong. In many games we should have scored more, that’s right. But I don’t think that’s the reason – we have the best number ‘nine’ in the world (he means Benzema, ed.). We are simply in a slightly more difficult period. ”
