Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has previewed Real Madrid’s El Clásico clash against Barcelona on Sunday, saying it is “normal” for the Spanish giants to receive “less praise” than their Catalan rivals, who lead La Liga and had remained unbeaten until recently.
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Speaking after Real Madrid’s 4–1 victory over German side Leipzig in the third round of the UEFA Champions League league phase, Courtois said: “We know it will be a difficult match, of course, but we feel confident. If we want to close the gap of six points, we have to go there and win. We have to acknowledge that they have been very strong in La Liga. On top of that, we will be playing away, but I have confidence in our team.”
Addressing whether there is a significant difference between the two sides, he added: “No, I don’t think so. We are two different teams and play two different styles of football. They are a team that relies heavily on attack, which is why people talk about them more. But it is true that they are very effective and score a lot of goals. That will be the key to the match: managing to contain their attack and scoring when we get the opportunities.”
Nevertheless, the 34-year-old Belgian goalkeeper acknowledged that it is natural for a team sitting third or fourth in the league to receive less praise than the side at the top.
Real Madrid, third in the standings with 21 points, will visit Barcelona at Camp Nou on Sunday, aiming to narrow the gap with their Catalan rivals, who lead the table with 27 points from a perfect record.
Barcelona suffered their first defeat of the season across all competitions on Tuesday, losing 4–2 to French side Paris Saint-Germain in the third round of the Champions League league phase. PSG are the reigning champions, having won the competition in each of the previous two seasons.
Source: AFP
