Real Madrid demonstrated resilience by defeating Borussia Dortmund 5-2 on Tuesday night at the Bernabeu during the third round of the Champions League. Following the game, Thibaut Courtois shared his thoughts and conveyed a direct message to FC Barcelona.
Real Madrid, known for their unpredictability in the Champions League, made history once again this Tuesday evening. After being down 0-2 at halftime, Carlo Ancelotti’s team staged a comeback. Rudiger initiated the turnaround with a goal from a Kylian Mbappe cross around the hour mark. Just two minutes later, although Mbappe missed his attempt, Vinicius Jr was quick to score. The Brazilian then delivered a remarkable performance, netting a hat-trick.
Thibaut Courtois affirmed the comeback and sent a message to FC Barcelona. Before the turnaround, the Belgian goalkeeper made a crucial world-class save to keep his team in the game. After the match, he spoke to Movistar+ in the mixed zone at Santiago Bernabeu.
“In the first half, we struggled with our pressing, and they created a lot of chances. They scored two quick goals and had more opportunities before halftime. We discussed how to improve, knowing that if we got the first goal, we could turn it around. Once we scored, we believed we could get more. In the second half, we played with the intensity that a Champions League match requires,” Courtois said.
While reflecting on the match, where Vinicius Jr. scored a remarkable hat-trick, Courtois also mentioned the upcoming clash with FC Barcelona on Saturday at the Bernabeu. He praised his teammates’ finish against Borussia Dortmund and stressed the importance of starting with that same energy from the first minute in the highly anticipated Clasico.
“Yes, they were able to play too easily near our box. They had time to control the ball, look up, and shoot, but I made a good save. We needed to wake up and respond. This won’t always work; we need to start Saturday’s Clasico against FC Barcelona with the same intensity we finished with today. We’re going to approach it that way,” he added. FC Barcelona has certainly taken note of Courtois’ message!
