Courtois: 'Real made too many mistakes, while Liverpool was very skillful'

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois showed frustration following the 0-1 defeat against Liverpool, with Real Madrid letting slip an important win at Anfield even though he made several remarkable saves.

Speaking after the Liverpool defeat, Courtois candidly admitted that the team made too many errors in the second half, especially unnecessary fouls near the penalty area, which ultimately cost them the goal: “It’s really unfortunate. I tried to keep the team from conceding, but in the second half we committed too many fouls close to the box, and the opponents are very good at set-piece situations like that. They scored exactly from that. It’s disappointing because we played well with the ball today, defended solidly, but lost possession too quickly in the opponent’s half. That’s something we need to improve.”

The Belgian star acknowledged that Real Madrid were warned about Liverpool’s strength on set pieces but the players still lacked focus: “We knew they were very dangerous in those moments but kept committing fouls, many of which were completely unnecessary.”

“Regarding the goal conceded, I don’t think it was a clear foul. The opponent went down when he saw an opportunity. Also, our passing wasn’t precise enough and we failed to maintain control in their half. That’s something to work on, especially playing away.”

Courtois admitted this defeat was “a missed opportunity” in the Champions Leaguebut believes the team still has a chance to recover: “Anfield is a very tough stadium, so losing here is not too surprising. The important thing is to stay calm and improve in upcoming matches. We are still performing well in La Liga and the Champions League; the key is to win against Olympiacos, which is a difficult away trip, but if we succeed, we will have a strong chance to reach the top 8.”

The Belgian goalkeeper also shared about his brilliant save against Dominik Szoboszlai in the first half, a moment that disappointed many Liverpool fans: “I just tried to cover the space. Seeing their one-two play, I knew Szoboszlai would break through alone. If I stayed on the goal line, it would be like facing a penalty, so I decided to rush out and cut the angle. When he passed the ball, I closed the gap, stretching out my arms and legs to block it. It wasn’t a textbook goalkeeper save, but it was effective and quite impressive.”

Courtois concluded that Real Madrid still have a lot to do if they want to conquer this season’s Champions League: improving ball control, avoiding unnecessary mistakes, and maintaining focus in away games where they continue to struggle.

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