The Real Madrid and Belgium goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, faces the World Cup quarter-final match against Spain with mixed feelings. He claims to feel 'almost half Spanish' and acknowledges that he has already received messages from friends warning him that this time they won't support him.
Thibaut Courtois will experience one of the most special matches of his career this Friday. The Belgian goalkeeper faces Spain in the World Cup quarter-finals, a clash that goes far beyond the sporting aspect. The Real Madrid keeper, who has built much of his success in Spanish football, admits that the match stirs something inside him.
“For me, Spain is my second home, I won't say I feel half Spanish, but almost. My children have Spanish passports,” the goalkeeper confessed ahead of the match. Courtois, who arrived in Spain in 2011 to play for Atlético de Madrid and later thrived at Real Madrid, does not hide the affection he feels for the country. However, this Friday he will set aside those feelings: “It's a special match, I've already received many messages that this time they are not with me… But it's nice and we will try everything to win,” he said with a laugh to the press.
A top-level rival
Courtois is fully aware of the difficulty of the challenge. Opposing him will be a Spain that arrives as one of the top favourites for the title, having won the Euro and delivered an impeccable World Cup performance. “Spain has won the Euro and was a favourite for this World Cup, alongside Argentina and France. And it is proving to be the case. They play good football, have possession, an intense team with strong pressing after losing the ball… They defend very high and we have to try to exploit their back… It won't be easy,” reflected the goalkeeper, who was called “the best goalkeeper in the world” by Dani Olmo just minutes earlier.
“Spain was a favourite alongside Argentina and France and it is proving to be the case”
— Thibaut Courtois
The Belgian keeper also analysed the Spanish national team's play: “They are playing well, managing the pace of the match, calmly… They haven't conceded a single goal yet. The whole team and Unai Simón are doing a great job. For us, the first thing is to score a goal and then not concede. But we know they have very good players on the bench too, so we have to stay focused for 100 minutes or more to not give them that space.”
“They are playing well, managing the pace of the match, calmly… They haven't conceded a single goal yet”
— Thibaut Courtois
The key: the Belgian block
Belgium knows they will need an almost perfect match to eliminate Spain. And a large part of their chances rests on Courtois's gloves. The goalkeeper, who is having an outstanding World Cup with 13 goal saves according to FIFA statistics, defends his team: “People have been mistaken about us. Egypt showed that they weren't that bad, against Iran we didn't manage to score but we didn't play badly. They sit back and say we have no rhythm… And in the other matches, which were more open, we did well.”
“People have been mistaken about us. Egypt showed that they weren't that bad, against Iran we didn't manage to score but we didn't play badly…”
— Thibaut Courtois
When asked about the key names in the Spanish attack, Courtois is clear that the block is the most important: “It's not just Lamine and Oyarzabal. The goal against Portugal is an example of the quick football they have. Lamine is Lamine, of course, he has a lot of talent in one-on-one situations and we will have to be close to him, with two against one, but it's hard to stop him.” He also spoke about his new teammate at Real Madrid, Cucurella: “He's a great player, who gets back quickly when he goes forward… It's going to be a very tough match.”
Courtois has prepared for the match in detail, with reports on all the teams, and has left nothing to chance. His numbers in the tournament are spectacular: 92 interventions inside the area and 75 outside of it. If the best goalkeeper in the world has another of his nights, the Belgians will be closer to dreaming of a semi-final that Courtois has been chasing for years. The match will take place on Friday at 21:00 Spanish time at the Lusail stadium.
