"I can understand that Lukaku was awarded the prize for the best Belgian abroad, but I deserved it too".
Thibaut Courtois recently made a name for himself with a new release tinged with bitterness.
However, the France team has nothing to be ashamed of on this one.
In an interview with Belgian media, HLN, the Real Madrid goalkeeper openly complained about not having been voted the best Belgian footballer playing abroad.
It was Inter striker Romelu Lukaku who inherited the title at his expense.
“I feel more recognition in Spain than in Belgium,” he added.
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Benzema snatches a narrow success, Real still believes in it
A precious guardian
It must be said that on the other side of the Pyrenees, the doorman is the real guardian of the temple of the casa blanca.
Arrived from Chelsea in the summer of 2018, Thibaut Courtois is one of the pillars of Zinedine Zidane's workforce.
Little spared from injuries, the French coach can rely on the performance of his red devil to keep his cages clean.
Eleven clean sheets for the Bree native this season.
Only Jan Oblak does better in La Liga.
Last season, the former Chelsea player had lost only 22 times in 34 league days.
Making him the last bulwark of the best defense in Spain.
Also, the Expected goals against Real (the expected goals against Real Madrid) show an amount higher than the goals actually conceded.
Instead of the 25 goals conceded, Zidane's men could (should) have bowed eight more times.
Symbol in statistics of the good performances of Thibaut Courtois.
The mainstay of Zidane's workforce?
Before Karim Benzema allows Real to return to the score (88th) at the very end of the game on the lawn of Atletico, it was Thibaut Courtois who had allowed his family to stay alive in this meeting.
The Belgian had to bow to the outside of Luis Suarez's foot first, but then managed to win twice against the gunslinger.
Two outings in front of the former Barça player (52nd and 54th) allowed the merengues not to fold at the leader colchonero.
Courteous behind, Benzema ahead, these are two of the most important elements of Zinedine Zidane's squad this season.
With the difference that when the second is absent, the Marseille coach can rely on the first to hold the bar.
This zero result on the lawn of the neighbor from Madrid which allows Real not to be completely dropped in the race for the title.
Relegated to six points from the men of Simeone, the residents of Santiago Bernabeau will have to rely on missteps from the Colchoneros to make up for this delay.
"There are a lot of very good goalkeepers, but we have Courtois and he is one of the best," commented the 98 world champion after the draw against Real Sociedad.
More than by flashes, it is above all by his consistency that Thibaut Courtois impresses.
Able to repeat top performances week after week, the Real keeper is on his way to become the 7th goalkeeper in club history to play all La Liga games in a season.
If during the previous year he had missed four games, he has always been present since the start of the season.
Next meeting this Tuesday for the Belgian goalkeeper to face Atalanta after the narrow victory away from the first leg (0-1).
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Liga standings
