He real Madrid has comprehensive insurance to keep Tuesday before the Manchester City their advantage acquired in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 at the Bernabéu (3-0): Thibaut Courtoisconsidered by his coach as “the best goalkeeper in the history” of the merengue club.
If last Tuesday’s game in the white fiefdom will go down in the annals as the exhibition of Uruguayan midfielder Federico Valverde, author of a hat trick, the truth is that the local party would have taken on more disturbing overtones had it not been for a spectacular save by the Belgian giant.
It was the 75th minute, when the young Thiago Pitarch lost the ball in his own area, the Citizen midfielder Nico O’Reilly put his left foot in with lightning speed, but it did not surprise Courtois who, at 33 years old, stretched his leg with the reflexes of a twenty-year-old to deflect a ball into the corner that many saw already inside.
An action that meant the difference between going to the Etihad Stadium with a 3-1 and with the tie in the air, and doing so with a much more reassuring 3-0 for Álvaro Arbeloa’s team.
After that match, the Spanish coach, who for just two years did not coincide with Courtois as a player in the white club, made his opinion clear about the Belgian.
“I think I have played with some of the best goalkeepers in the world. Not only have they been some of the best goalkeepers in the world, but they have become or could be considered some of the best goalkeepers in history, but I have not seen what Thibaut Courtois is doing from anyone,” Arbeloa praised him.
“I said it the other day and I stand by it. For me there is no debate with any goalkeeper and we are surely facing the best goalkeeper in the history of Real Madrid,” he insisted, putting him ahead, although without mentioning them, of former teammates such as Iker Casillas or Keylor Navas.
Assists
Although this season the former Chelsea and Atlético de Madrid goalkeeper has not only shone in the defensive aspect. Against City he gave the pass to Valverde so that the Uruguayan could open the scoring. And it was not his first assist in this Champions League, after the one he gave to Kylian Mbappé against Kairat Almaty of Kazakhstan.
Courtois, who this season Arbeloa’s predecessor, Xabi Alonso, urged to play more with his foot and in a more advanced position, has saved the white team in several games.
The goalkeeper, who is in his eighth season at Real Madrid, thrives against English teams, as he already demonstrated against Liverpool at Anfield at the beginning of November, although he could not prevent his team’s defeat. Although his performance against Liverpool itself in the 2022 Champions League final was much more decisive.
For this match, Arbeloa will also be able to count on Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, Álvaro Carreras and David Alaba, who traveled to Manchester after overcoming their physical problems.
City, Real Madrid’s rival in the knockout phase of the Champions League for the fifth consecutive season, is still alive in all competitions, but faces the decisive phase of the season at a disadvantage.
Waiting for Haaland
Recent draws against two teams from the bottom zone – West Ham and Nottingham Forest – in their last two league games bring Arsenal closer to the title. Now, Pep Guardiola’s men must face the great challenge of coming back from three goals against the 15-time European champion.
Something that in any case will require an extra effort whose bill could be paid in the League Cup final against Arsenal on Sunday.
In the first part of the season, Erling Haaland’s goals saved City like Courtois’ saves saved Real Madrid, but the Norwegian forward’s performance has dropped in 2026.
Of the 42 goals Haaland has scored this season for club and country, 38 came in his first 28 games of the campaign. And two of the four he has scored in the 18 games since then have been from penalties.
And his last goal was against Fulham more than a month ago!
