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THIBAUT COURTOIS CRITICISES REAL MADRID SQUAD FOLLOWING LIVERPOOL DEFEAT

Thibaut Courtois criticised Real Madrid's "unnecessary fouls" after their 1-0 loss to Liverpool. The goalkeeper, named man of the match, said his team gave away too many set-pieces in dangerous areas at Anfield.

Thibaut Courtois Criticises Real Madrid Squad Following Liverpool Defeat
Courtois Hits Out at Real Madrid Teammates - Image via RTVE

After seeing his goal bombarded by Liverpool during a 1-0 victory for the Reds, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has urged his colleagues to be more intelligent when giving up free kicks. Even though Courtois was named the game's MVP, Real Madrid's second loss of the year was hardly much comfort.

The Belgian goalie shared manager Xabi Alonso's belief that his team played good defence most of the time, regardless of set plays.

Through MD, he told Movistar, "It is unfortunate; I tried to keep the squad together, but in the second half in particular, we committed too many fouls near the area, where they are good, and that is how they scored the goal."

Regardless of the outcome, Courtois was quick to note that it would not be an easy trip to Anfield.

"We played strong defence and had good ball control, but we lacked something in the last third, as we had trouble moving forward and lost possession too frequently. We must get better. In the end, even though we do not want to, we could lose since we are playing at one of the most difficult venues in the Champions League. We must now defeat Olympiakos on the road before hosting Manchester City.

"These are matches that are determined by details, but it is a really tough venue where you may lose; you have to step up and play better."

Courtois said, "I hope Liverpool fans forgive Trent."


The reception of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was jeered during the warm-up and anytime he came off the bench with the ball, was one of the main talking topics in the meantime. Courtois expressed his hope that Liverpool supporters would forgive him in the end to BeIN Sports.

I am not passing judgment on the fans. However, as a player, you have a single career, make choices, and have aspirations. He attended Real Madrid, which is, in my opinion, the biggest club in the world, rather than a rival team like Manchester United. I know they are upset; perhaps they wished it had been different, but it was a sincere choice, and I hope the supporters will eventually forgive him and allow him to return home, where they will honour him for all the trophies he has won.


There were some unwarranted fouls.


Courtois believed that prevention was the best way to defend the set pieces, which were a huge talking point. Courtois was not pleased that Jude Bellingham had given away the free-kick that ultimately resulted in Alexis Mac Allister's goal.

"I believe we committed too many fouls, giving them the chance to score, even if we knew they were dangerous from set pieces and perhaps the smallest one scored." However, aside from that, I believe we played good defence, and aside from the first opportunity, I do not think they had many huge, big chances in open play.

While certain fouls are required to halt a hazardous onslaught, others are not. I believe the foul that resulted in the goal was called when he spotted Jude's leg, but it was not necessary. We had to keep possession in the opposing team's half since we lacked clean passes. We must get better at that while playing strong opponents away from home.

SHOCK REVEALED: WHY VINICIUS JR’S "WEIRD" INSTAGRAM POST CONFIRMS A REAL MADRID MELTDOWN

Vinicius Jr sparks Real Madrid chaos with a cryptic social media post after being booed during the Sevilla win.

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Xabi Alonso breaks the silence after the Bernabéu crowd boos struggling Vinicius

Real Madrid is dealing with even more drama now that Brazilian star Vinicius Junior posted something weird on social media.

Even though Real Madrid beat Sevilla 2-0 at home on Saturday, grabbing their third win in a row, manager Xabi Alonso is still getting heat because their plays aren't very convincing.

Madrid blew a five-point lead over Barcelona at the top of La Liga. Plus, there's tension behind the scenes that isn't helping Alonso, who just took over in June after leaving Bayer Leverkusen. One big problem during Alonso's time has been his relationship with key players like Vinicius.

Earlier this season during El Clasico, the 25-year-old got upset when he was taken out of the game and stormed off the field. Vinicius later apologized to his teammates, the club, and president Florentino Perez but noticeably left out Alonso.

The Brazilian player, who hasn't scored since early October, was booed by Real's own fans when he was subbed out against Sevilla.

Vinicius responded on Instagram, posting two pictures from the game with the caption: ... He also changed his profile picture to one of him wearing a Brazil jersey, and he was wearing the captain's armband.

After the game, Alonso was asked about the boos and said, "The fans can say what they want, and this game was tough."

I value the team's current situation, and with this break, we're going to rest up and come back with some excitement.

Even with only 10 men in the second half, Sevilla still gave Real a hard time.

A header from Jude Bellingham and a late penalty kick from Kylian Mbappe helped Alonso's team win. Now they have a two-week break.

January will be a big month for Real. They have a Spanish Super Cup semifinal game against Atletico Madrid in Saudi Arabia and potentially a final against either Barcelona or Athletic Bilbao.

Real Madrid will also get a chance to lock in their spot in the Champions League knockout stages.

We're going to have some time to look at things and think. Alonso added. It was a tricky situation.

We know we can play better, and we want to start the new year strong. The main thing was to win. Some things haven't gone as planned. Considering where we started and these wins... we now need to get better.

OFFICIAL RECORD: KYLIAN MBAPPé MATCHES RONALDO’S 59-GOAL CALENDAR YEAR TALLY FOR REAL MADRID

Kylian Mbappé celebrates his 27th birthday by equaling Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 59 goals in a single year for Real Madrid.

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Mbappé hits 59 goals in 2025

On his 27th birthday, Mbappe nailed an 86th-minute penalty against Sevilla in La Liga. This tied Ronaldo's club record from 2013 and sealed a 2-0 victory for his team at the Santiago Bernabeu.

It's a big day since it's my birthday. "I always dreamed of playing a game on my birthday, and doing it at Real Madrid, my dream club, is amazing," Mbappe told Real Madrid TV.

We wanted to end the year strong, and getting this record is unbelievable.

Copying Cristiano, my hero, who's the greatest player in Real Madrid's history and one of the best, is an honour.

Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid hasn't had the easiest season, but Mbappe has been their star, scoring 29 goals in 24 games across all competitions.

Last season, the striker won the European Golden Shoe and La Liga's top scorer awards. He's currently leading the Spanish league again with 18 goals.

Mbappe confessed he had Ronaldo posters on his wall as a kid and that joining Madrid was a dream come true when he signed from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2024.

He celebrated his goal against Sevilla by doing Ronaldo's famous Siu jump.

It's an honour, and I wanted to give him a shout-out because he's always been cool with me. He always had good things to say about Madrid, how to settle in, and stuff, Mbappe added.

Now I'm glad to score for Real Madrid and that we win games... the celebration was for him.

I usually have my own, but I wanted to share that one with him today. He was my idol growing up, and we have a good thing going on; he's a friend now.

Ronaldo, playing for Portugal, bagged 450 goals in 438 games for Real Madrid, making him their all-time top scorer. Mbappe is now at 73 in 83 games.

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