Thibaut Courtois He is one of those footballers who can boast of having experienced the Madrid derby, possibly the best in the modern history of football, from both sides of the shore. He made his rojiblanco debut there 2011, but the truth is that he has done better since he has moved to La Castellana. The Belgian has not lost any of his seven derbies as a Real Madrid player, and as a rojiblanco he was only able to win two in a total of nine games.
The history of Courtois in the derbies is long, so much that, in the first one he played, Cholo Simeone He was not yet an Atleti coach. It was a November 26, 2011, in the Bernabeu, which witnessed a comfortable victory for Madrid over the eternal citizen rival. 4-1 for the team Mourinho before that of Apple tree, tracing the initial goal of Adrian thanks to a doublet of Christian and targets of Say Maria and Higuain. Courtois, moreover, was expelled in the 22nd minute for knocking down an opponent on an obvious occasion. The result was repeated in the second round match at the Calderón, already with Cholo, after a triplet of Christian and the closing of Jose Callejon.
The Bernabéu Cup
The 12-13 season brought more league troubles to the shores of the Manzanares. Madrid won both matches of the regularity tournament, 2-0 at the Bernabéu and 1-2 at the Calderón, but the rojiblancos were compensated in the final of Cup, who were taken from the La Castellana Coliseum by defeating a Madrid 1-2 that failed a number of occasions that touched the paranormal, with a superb performance by the rojiblanco goalkeeper.
Lisbon
The tables turned (partially) at 13-14, when Madrid took revenge in the semifinals of Cup with a resounding 5-0 aggregate to reach the final of Mestalla, that of the race of Bale. But in the League, Atleti won the Bernabéu (0-1, Diego Costa) and contained Madrid in their stadium (2-2), a key point for the Atletico’s conquest of the League. However, the duel was still repeated once more, and on the most prestigious and demanding stage. The end of Champions in Lisbon he crowned Madrid thanks to the miraculous goal of Bouquets, which gave way to a extension triumphant for the whites to seal the Tenth.
Against Atleti
With Atleti as a rival, Courtois has done much better. First with him Chelsea (a win and a draw in the group stage of the Champions 17-18) and, above all, with Madrid. In fact, it was saved from burning in the European Super Cup of 2018, not being summoned by Lopetegui after his transfer to Madrid. It was Keylor who conceded all four Atleti goals in Tallinn.
Once the pulse with the Tico was overcome, Courtois has been untouchable in the Madrid goal in all the derbies played since 2018. There have been seven and he does not know defeat: three victories and three draws in the League and victory in the 2020 Spanish Super Cup, his first white title, with a decisive stop in the penalty shoot-out at the shooting of Thomas Partey.
Pilar of Madrid
In his fourth season in white, Courtois, who faces his seventeenth Madrid derby, is not only indisputable in the goal of the Bernabéu club, but in some forums his place in the historical ranking of Madrid goalkeepers is already beginning to be debated. Away from the individual great prizes in an incomprehensible or unclear way, the Belgian is also one of the leaders of the dressing room, as well as a key piece in the spectacular streak of the team, which is looking at the Bernabéu for what would be its tenth consecutive victory, in addition to a full-blown hand blow in the face of the fight for the League 21-22.
One more Madrilenian
On the eve of the derby, Courtois wanted to share his feelings for the city of Madrid on his social profiles.
“At 19 I moved to Madrid alone. Although it was difficult at first, I quickly fell in love with this city. Now, I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else: Madrid is my home. With the derby approaching, it is very special to play for Real Madrid and live in Madrid“.
“I am grateful to have been able to sign for Real Madrid and to see my children grow up. After six years, Madrid is my home. The people, their hospitality, the food, the climate, the country: they all convinced me that Madrid is where I want to spend my life after finishing my degree“wrote the Belgian.
