Courtois After Manchester City Defeat: "We Lost a Match We Should Have Won"

Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois expressed his regret following Real Madrid's 2-1 defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League, acknowledging his role in conceding the first goal.

Speaking after the match, Courtois stated, "We played a good game. We scored to take a 1-0 lead, but the equalizer was my mistake. The ball came directly to me, and I didn't know how to clear it better. And when the momentum is against you, the rebound, instead of going to a teammate, goes to the opponent."

He added, "They scored the equalizer, then gained confidence, and the penalty came, which I believe was correct. Ultimately, this is the situation we are in. In the second half, they started better, but after the 60th or 65th minute, we controlled the game and had chances to equalize. But the ball didn't want to go in, and you lose a match you should have won."

Courtois denied that the clash against City was a test for coach Xabi Alonso, emphasizing the players' support for him. "We don't see it that way. We want to win because we know the situation: we've lost a lot of points in the league, and although we're doing well in the Champions League, we can't drop out of the top 8. Today we showed that we are with the coach; we gave 100% of our energy, and that was evident on the field. We played a good game, but it wasn't meant for us to win."

It is worth noting that Real Madrid currently sits seventh in the Champions League standings with 12 points, accumulated from four victories and two defeats.