The Dutch legend, Clarence Seedorf, didn’t hold back in his criticism of Thibaut Courtois after Real Madrid’s heavy 3-0 defeat to Arsenal on Tuesday night in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals.
Like several of his teammates, Thibaut Courtois made serious errors that cost Real Madrid dearly. Expected to resist the attacks from Mikel Arteta’s players ahead of the return leg next week at the Santiago Bernabéu, Carlo Ancelotti’s team self-destructed in the second half with unnecessary mistakes. While David Alaba and Eduardo Camavinga were both at fault for the two free-kick goals scored by Declan Rice, the Belgian goalkeeper is not without blame, points out Clarence Seedorf.
“Courtois set up the wall badly”
A former Real Madrid player (between 1996 and 1999, 159 matches and 20 goals), the 49-year-old, now a coach, pointed to Courtois’ responsibility for Rice’s first goal. After the painful 3-0 defeat, Seedorf criticised the number of players in the wall. “Rice read it well, he saw the space. But Courtois set the wall badly. Only four players, too much space, it’s a mistake…” he said on the post-match show.
In his analysis of the match, the former midfield stalwart of Madrid believes the problem wasn’t just Rice’s execution but the permissiveness created by Madrid’s positioning. “We must give him credit for spotting it. But this kind of mistake is unforgivable at this level.”
Mistakes that cost Real
Let’s be honest, Courtois could have managed the wall better for the Gunners’ first goal. Like everyone else, it’s immediately apparent in the footage that’s circulating in the media that a fifth player in the wall might have been enough to prevent Declan Rice from scoring his stunner. On the second free-kick, the 32-year-old goalkeeper could have positioned himself better, although it must be acknowledged that the shot, which went into the top corner at a 90-degree angle, was difficult to reach.
“When I saw the wall… it didn’t make sense to cross. I thought I was going to strike it. And it was magic,” said the English player to Amazon Prime’s microphone after his performance against Real Madrid. Now, the damage is done, and the team will need to regroup for the return leg next Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabéu. If there’s hope for a turnaround, Vinicius Junior, who was dreadful throughout the match, will need to reflect on his performance, as will the rest of the team.
Against Arsenal on Tuesday night, it was individual errors that made things difficult. Otherwise, when looking at the performances of Raúl Asencio, Antonio Rüdiger, Federico Valverde, and even David Alaba, who was doing well until his mistake on the first goal, there were improvements. Against the high press of the English, the midfield, lacking creativity, failed to trouble the opposition. In attack, it was non-existent, except for Kylian Mbappé in the first half.
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