Thibaut Courtois has stated that he has no issues with fellow Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas, and he is happy to have competition for the prime position between the sticks.
Courtois had been forced to wait for his debut for the club, but made his first appearance during Real Madrid’s 4-1 victory over Leganes. Goals from Gareth Bale, Sergio Ramos and a brace from Karim Benzema continued the side’s perfect start to La Liga.
The Belgian was asked about the relationship between him and Navas after the match, and was quoted by Marca as saying:
“Sometimes I see that the press want to look for controversy, but we’re both competing really well and always training to the maximum.
“Competition makes you give more of yourself.
He went into more detail about his relationship with Navas whilst talking to Spanish outlet Sport, saying:
“We’re both competing well, with a lot of laughs, always giving our all in training. The controversy is made by the press.”
Courtois was beaten from the penalty spot by Guido Carrillo, which made the score 1-1 at the time. However, he was only required to make two saves as Real Madrid asserted their dominance throughout.
Thoughts of Courtois’ first game:
– Looked eager to help in build-up, something I’ve not really see him do before
– Comfortable with the 3 shots on target he had to deal with
– Risky throw to Marcelo in the second half, but worked out
– Showed respect to Keylor post-game pic.twitter.com/j6NeJzgaRq— BM (@blancomorenito) September 2, 2018
Keylor Navas had impressed during his side’s start to the season, leaving Courtois on the bench. However, the Belgian was told by manager Julen Lopetegui on Friday that he would be starting the match, and Courtois will now be hoping to secure a permanent place in the starting 11.
Courtois enjoyed a fantastic World Cup tournament with Belgium, winning the prestigious Golden Glove award as a result of his impressive displays. He was rewarded with a move to Real Madrid, putting an end to months of speculation about his future.
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