Courtois laments absence of Joselu in Madrid's defeat to Arsenal

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois believes the absence of a target man like Joselu who left Madrid before the start of the 2024/25 season, cost them in their 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-final second leg.

Madrid was unable to overcome the 3-0 deficit from the first leg, and Courtois thinks Joselu’s presence would have made a difference.

“We put in a lot of crosses, but we don’t have a Joselu to win those aerial duels,” Courtois said.

Madrid’s strategy to flood Arsenal’s penalty area with crosses didn’t pay off, with only three shots on target despite 43 crosses. Courtois believes that Joselu’s ability to win aerial duels would have been crucial in creating scoring opportunities. Last season, Joselu’s late goals helped Madrid dump Bayern Munich out of the Champions League semi-final.

Courtois praised Arsenal’s defense, saying they defended well and pressed high, making it difficult for Madrid to find gaps.

“They defended well, they pressed high, it was very difficult to find gaps,” he said. Despite creating some chances, Madrid’s attack was stifled, and they registered an xG of just 1.5 compared to Arsenal’s 2.05 xG.

Madrid captain Lucas Vazquez agreed with Courtois, saying that Madrid’s attack lacked clarity and patience.

“Maybe we lacked clarity with the ball, we lacked patience at times,” he said. Vazquez added that the team would come back stronger and work to achieve their goals in the remaining season.

Despite the Champions League exit, Vazquez emphasized that the season is not over, and the team is united. “When we win, we all win. When we lose, it’s the same. We always give our all, we always show our faces,” he said.

Madrid will look to regroup and focus on their remaining fixtures, with the goal of finishing the season on a high note