Courtois Reflects on Real Madrid’s Victory Against Villarreal

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois offered his perspective on the team’s 2-1 victory over Villarreal in the 28th round of La Liga. The Belgian shot-stopper highlighted the challenges faced by the team due to a congested fixture schedule.

“We play when we have to, but it’s not ideal to have a match on Saturday after playing 120 minutes on Wednesday,” Courtois remarked. He acknowledged the team’s sluggish start, attributing it to fatigue from their midweek Champions League exertions.

Courtois expressed frustration with La Liga’s scheduling, pointing out that in the Premier League, teams participating in the Champions League often play on the same day. He viewed the tight turnaround as disrespectful to the team and potentially risking player injuries.

The goalkeeper’s comments came in the wake of Real Madrid’s grueling Champions League round of 16 second leg against Atletico Madrid on March 12, which ended in a penalty shootout victory for Los Blancos.

Following their win over Villarreal, Real Madrid (60 points) leapfrogged Barcelona (57) to claim the top spot in La Liga. However, the Catalan side has two games in hand. Villarreal (44) suffered their second consecutive defeat and remain in fifth place in the league standings.