The goalkeeper of Real Madrid, Thibaut Courtoispointed out that the performance of the whites this Wednesday in the defeat against Manchester City “proves” that they are not a “dead team” and that they are with their coachand Xabi Alonso in the spotlight for the bad streak of results that did not end against the English.
“We didn’t deserve to lose.it was an even match, with many chances. We started the game well, and at 1-1 it’s a bit of a mistake on my part, the clearance is not good. Right after there comes a penalty, and suddenly you are losing 1-2 when we were the better team. They grow, they have a double chance and in the second half they started better,” he said in the mixed zone at the Santiago Bernabéu.
“In the end, we got the rhythm of the game and we could have tied, but it’s a bit of the dynamic we’re in, that the ball doesn’t want to go in, that things aren’t going as they should,” added Courtois who understood the loss of Kylian Mbappé. “Yesterday it didn’t look like he was going to play, and today he said he couldn’t. It says a lot about him to support us on the bench, but it’s better that he misses one game than ten. We have serious injuries and we don’t want him to go to other teammates anymore,” he said about the Frenchman’s broken finger.
The Belgian goalkeeper acknowledged that the streak is not good, but insisted that the image was different, compared to the defeat against RC Celta on Sunday. “It is true that the streak has not been good. When you only win two out of eight it is not good, but today it has been shown that the team is with the coachthat we have reacted, that the players have given everything and we have lost against a good rival, that can happen,” he stated.
“After eight games the issue is complicated, everyone is frustrated, but We are going to have to continue and everyone is to death with the coach and winning on Sunday is how the dynamic is changed. We have defended and attacked well, we have created chances. “We have shown how we have to play, with the attitude, the collective commitment, that is how we are going to win on Sunday,” he added.
Furthermore, Courtois explained that the players must assume their responsibility. “We are all to blame. We have to improve, we are the ones on the field. We have a great squad, at the beginning of the season we played very well, we had a good run, and that’s what we have to do,” he stated, “thinking about winning” against Alavés and not about the consequences of a possible defeat.
“We have shown that we are a united team that we are behind the coach and we are fighting to change this dynamic. We have to win on Sunday to change the dynamic, we cannot say much, we have to act on the field. We have given our all on the field, there are players who were at their limits, everyone is giving their all, because there are many injuries,” he said.
“The coach is calm, thinking about how to improve the game, the dynamics, and in the end we are at Real Madridthe pressure, the names in the press, there will always be. We cannot be watching the gatherings. It’s what we’re going to talk about, but we’ve shown that it’s not a dead team. It is not the image of Sunday,” he concluded.
*With information from Europa Press
