Courtois: 'In the round of 16, I don't want to face ...'

Thibaut Courtois recently made notable remarks after Real Madrid secured their place in the Champions League round of 16.

The Belgian goalkeeper believes Real still lacks “fluidity with the ball,” but trusts that with more wins and confidence, things will improve gradually. He affirmed that Real is “a reliable team” and admitted he prefers to face Sporting over Man City.

Following the victory against Benfica, Courtois stated that Real Madrid still lacks “fluidity with the ball,” sharing: “We are a dependable team. There are some adjustments needed, and we work on them with the coach through video analysis. Recently, we have been quite consistent, but our play still lacks a bit of fluidity. We need to circulate the ball more and stretch those low defensive blocks. If passes are too slow, the opponents can reorganize. The second half was better. We didn’t play perfectly, but the important thing is the win.”

Additionally, Courtois also mentioned Vinícius Júnior's goal. He said: “I didn’t see the dance because I was quite far away. But I always celebrate back with the crowd because I’m alone. I’m happy when Vini dances and keeps dancing, it means he’s still scoring goals.”

Most notably, he spoke about the opponent in the Champions League round of 16. When asked about the possibility of facing Manchester City, Courtois openly expressed his wish to meet Sporting CP instead of Pep Guardiola’s team. The Belgian goalkeeper said: “You know, it will probably be Man City again. But it’s been a while since I faced Sporting, so hopefully this time it will be different. They are also a tough opponent, but indeed we have met City many times over the years. It feels like hitting a ‘lottery ticket of fate,’ but I hope it won’t happen again this time.”

Courtois’ statement quickly attracted significant attention from fans, especially given the thrilling battles between Real Madrid and Man City in recent Champions League seasons. Now that Real has reached the round of 16, the big question is whether they will once again meet the Premier League champions or if the draw will bring a different scenario for coach Arbeloa’s team at Bernabéu.