current champion, Real Madrid were thrashed 4-0 by Manchester Cityin England, and, with 5 to 1 on aggregate, said goodbye to Champions League in the semifinal. Despite the elastic score, one of the highlights of the Spanish club was Thibaut Courtois. After the game, the Belgian goalkeeper analyzed the defeat and elimination of Merengue, but reinforced that the team should continue to try to win the 15th continental title next season.
“At first we managed to withstand their pressure, then it was 1-0. It was hard for us to try to get it. We missed a lot of passes, we gave them the ball a lot. Then we had Toni Kross’s finish, which could change our luck. in the match, but luck wasn’t on our side today,” he said in an interview with TNT Sports.
“Then we went to the break. We knew that if we scored a goal we could get back into the game. We started better in the second half, we controlled the ball more, we put pressure on them, but we didn’t find the last pass to get our goal, reduce the score, tie the match. Then we conceded two more goals. It was a tough defeat, but we need to keep working. The Champions did not come this year. We need to keep working and wait again to reach the final or who knows how to win again, we have to lift your head and follow,” he continued.
Real were pushed by City to the defensive field
Furthermore, Courtois stated that the Real Madrid was forced to play further back, pushed by the high pressure and dominance of the City in the match.
“Actually, City forces us to play like this [mais recuado, defensivo]. They came at us a lot, there were a lot of balls. If we have a lot of people defending, we can’t put our quality on the field. It’s hard to take, but we knew it would attract counterattacks. Regrettably this did not happen in our favor,” he declared.
Courtois disagreed about Ancelotti staying at the club
Finally, the 31-year-old goalkeeper did not talk about the permanence of coach Carlo Ancelotti at the club. The Italian has a contract with Real until June 2024, but is the favorite to take over as coach of the Brazilian national team at the end of this season.
“I think this is the responsibility of the club. He is a great coach. In the Champions League we have very difficult challenges. City were superior in our challenge at home and away from home. The truth is that the two goals at the end of the first time make it seem that the defeat was stronger than it was”, he added.
🏁 FIM: @ManCityPT 4-0 @realmadridpt
⚽ Bernardo Silva 23′, 37′; Militão (gc) 85′; 90+1′ Julián Álvarez .#UCL pic.twitter.com/4hzRBsfhPJ— Real Madrid C.F. 🇧🇷🇵🇹 (@realmadridpt) May 17, 2023
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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