“Vinicius and Mbappe unbalance other teams,” says goalkeeper
Thibaut Courtois believes Real Madrid are adapting better to Alvaro Arbeloa’s instructions, after securing their third straight victory in all competitions with a win over Villareal.
Two goals from Kylian Mbappe settled the affair in a contest where Courtois was largely untested, but it was a long way from the defeat to second-division side Albacete in the Copa del Rey, before the team were booed at the Bernabeu last weekend against Levante.
“We are adapting better and better to the manager’s ideas,” Courtois said. “As a team we are all improving together and when you win everything is easier, there is more confidence and everything goes better.
“From the start we took the initiative, both to press high up the pitch and to track back as the manager asked us to. We defended well, kept a clean sheet, and we were able to convert our chances.”
Mbappe and Vinicius Junior were superb on the night and were singled out for praise by Arbeloa at full time.
Courtois believes the group is more important: “Football is a team sport, not an individual one, and for individuals to stand out, it’s important that the team is united. If we do it as a team, everything else falls into place.”
However, the goalkeeper added: “They give us so much. They really unbalance other teams and are a nightmare for defences. You can stop them for 60 or 65 minutes, but they have so much attacking ability that they cause damage. I hope they can continue to bring us joy.”
