Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane was full of praise for goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois after their win over Getafe on Saturday.
Los Blancos slipped up prior to the winter break as they were held to a goalless draw by Athletic Bilbao, allowing rivals Barcelona to move clear at the top of the La Liga table.
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However, they picked up a 3-0 away win at Getafe on Saturday, thus putting the pressure back on their title rivals to respond in their encounter with Espanyol.
While Rafael Varane was instrumental in the win and Luka Modric added a late third goal, it was Courtois who was singled out for praise by Zidane after the game, as per his comments below.
“He has saved us two or three times in the first half and has been decisive,” he is quoted as saying, as per Mundo Deportivo. “He is an important player for the team and he has demonstrated it and not only in this match, but for a long time. I’m happy with his performance.
“He is my goalkeeper and for me he is the best. All the players that I have are the best.”
It hasn’t always been a straight-forward spell for Courtois since his move from Chelsea in 2018, as while he has struggled for form at times, he has come under intense scrutiny and criticism.
However, he certainly showed his best form this weekend and it proved to be decisive in keeping Real Madrid on course to secure all three points, and he will no doubt be delighted that his influence was acknowledged and praised by his coach after the game.
Real Madrid will switch their attention to Valencia in their Spanish Super Cup tie in midweek, before hosting Sevilla in the league as they hope to now build some momentum to start the year.