Thibaut Courtois acknowledged that his remarkable first-half save against Dominik Szoboszlai «wasn’t quite a textbook save» as Real Madrid suffered a 1-0 loss to Liverpool on Tuesday.
Courtois recorded eight saves at Anfield, with the standout moment occurring in the 27th minute, when he stopped Szoboszlai in a one-on-one at close range.
This result marks Madrid’s first Champions League defeat of the season after commencing their European journey with three victories — and draws against Olympiacos, and at home to Manchester City, who are next on the schedule.
«You need to cover space,» Courtois explained to Movistar, when asked about the save against Szoboszlai. «Szoboszlai was unmarked, and staying on the goal line would have been akin to a penalty; I would have been unable to stop it.
«I intended to go for the cross, but it was too risky. Being two meters tall with long arms, I dove at it completely. I made myself appear larger. It wasn’t particularly a standard save for a goalkeeper, yet it was effective.»
Courtois conceded that Madrid «was a bit lacking in the attacking third» and «lost too many battles» at Anfield, managing an expected goals figure of just 0.45 compared to Liverpool’s 2.58.
«We didn’t have sufficient possession in the opponent’s half, which is where we want to operate,» Courtois stated. «That’s where we need to enhance our away performance against strong teams… We can certainly perform better. Matches like these hinge on small details, and that’s what transpired. We must maintain composure; we’re fine. If we triumph at Olympiacos, we’ll still be in a solid position to reach the top eight.»
Madrid bested Barcelona in El Clásico last month, but have now faced defeats against Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético Madrid, and now Liverpool under coach Xabi Alonso.
«There are various ways to face defeat,» Alonso remarked on Tuesday. «Today’s match was quite distinct from [the 5-2] at the Metropolitano [against Atletico]. Today we put forth great effort, competed well, and had a good attitude. We fell short in several aspects that need improvement.»
Alonso dismissed suggestions that his team lacked intensity.
«No, I do not sense that,» he replied. «I believe we competed effectively… Thibaut kept us in contention; the goal gave them the upper hand, but I can’t criticize the team… We leave with disappointment due to the loss, yet we must push forward.»
«I think [Liverpool] had a slight advantage,» midfielder Jude Bellingham commented. «They brought a bit more energy in the second half, and they’re highly dangerous on set pieces…. It’s still quite early in the season. We were in a much worse position last year [in the Champions League] and still made it through. We must not allow this to disrupt our current progress.»
