Thibaut Courtois warns: the Clásico is about closing the gap

Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid’s goalkeeper, looked back at the 4-1 win against RB Leipzig on matchday three of the Champions League and set the tone for the next Clásico: “We need to close the gap with them.” The Belgian noted that with the score at 0-0 at halftime, the game could have gotten away from them and stressed how important his stops were: two top saves in the first half.

Speaking on Real Madrid TV, Courtois said scoring first mattered and added that, at the break, the coach told the team to improve defensively. He also highlighted the competition within the squad and pointed to a run of four away matches, saying it has been tougher than expected, with the aim of reaching the international break with four wins.

On facing Barcelona next, Courtois insisted they must win to reduce the distance and asked the team to keep things tight at the back: “hopefully we can defend well so we don’t concede.”