"Very hard to take" - Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois delivers verdict on PSG defeat, vows to comeback stronger in return leg
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois claims that the round of 16 tie between Madrid and PSG is far from over as he promised fans that Los Blancos will do better at the Santiago Bernabeu. Speaking to the press after the first leg, the Belgian international admitted that his side failed to put in a good performance.
Real Madrid faced PSG in the 1st leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie at the Le Parc des Princes. Many placed their hopes on Los Blancos considering their great form in the La Liga.
However, the way the tie panned out proved to be a huge surprise for many football fans. PSG won the tie 1-0, thanks to a 95th-minute goal from Kylian Mbappe.
The final scoreline could have been much worse for Madrid, however, an incredible performance from Thibaut Courtois kept his side in the tie by making some crucial saves. Courtois revealed that the defeat against PSG was a hard one to take. The Belgian then vowed to do better against PSG in the second leg. He said:
“It’s very hard to take. We didn’t put in a good performance but we’ll do better back at the Bernabéu. I hope that we manage to do it with the support of our fans. As a goalkeeper, you know that you’re going to be busy in games like this. I tried to keep a clean sheet and for them to score as they did was a real setback. But we’ve got an important La Liga game coming up at home and have to keep winning."
8 saves including a Leo Messi penalty ❌
Thibaut Courtois deserves some respect 👏 https://t.co/7Pglxr9ZXe
The end result could have been much worse for Madrid as the French club created big chances throughout the game.
Les Parisiens were completely dominant and never gave an inch to Real Madrid, nullifying their ability to score goals on the counter-attack. Madrid were extremely defensive against PSG, who often only had Karim Benzema as the lone player in the PSG half.
What went wrong for Real Madrid at Parc des Princes?
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti's decision to set up a defensive game against PSG was one of the big things that Los Blancos got wrong on the night.
Madrid, with the star power in their attack, failed to involve their forwards in the match. As a result, the 13-time European champions failed to register a single shot on target against Les Parisiens.
PSG absolutely battered Real Madrid all night.
Carlo Ancelotti's defensive tactics were pretty poor.
Do you think they can turn it around at the Bernabeu? #UCL https://t.co/CDsFy9OI8Q
It's been a rough few weeks for the Galacticos as they have only been able to secure a single win in their last five matches. Fans have started to question Ancelotti's tactics, especially after this round of 16 tie.
The second leg against Paris will certainly be one of the most crucial nights of the season and Madrid will have to raise their standards in front of their fans.