Courtois previews Arsenal - Real Madrid champions league first leg
07/04/2025
Emirates Stadium, London, Uk
07/04/2025
Emirates Stadium, London, Uk
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SportsTranscript
00:00How do you feel after everything and how is Real Madrid feeling going into this massive
00:11game against Arsenal?
00:12I feel great.
00:14I had a small problem but it was something that I had to work on day-to-day but for the
00:20last few days I've been coming back and now I feel 100%.
00:23I feel good.
00:24I think the team, we have to continue.
00:27We lost against Valencia but now the focus is on the Champions League.
00:31It's a huge game tomorrow and we have to try and win.
00:35How are you doing Thibaut?
00:47Arsenal have scored lots of goals from set-pieces this season in the Premier League.
00:52Real Madrid have conceded many, including against Valencia.
00:56What's been lacking for you in this area?
00:58Have you been lacking concentration?
01:01We worked on it yesterday.
01:03We know that we have to try and defend situations like that and also try and not concede many
01:11corners.
01:14It's a question of concentration.
01:17Sometimes the quality of the rival can cause us problems.
01:23They might be well-positioned but we know how hard it can be to defend against good
01:29teams but we're ready to defend well against them.
01:32We think we've prepared well for this.
01:43How are you feeling after your muscular injury?
01:49Do you feel you're at 100%?
01:52I've had a few injuries at the start of the season.
01:58One on my abductor.
01:59One in the game against Atletic.
02:02I took a few blows in that game.
02:07I think before perhaps I got back too early in the season when I had an injury.
02:13It was a minor thing.
02:14Now it's been quite a minor thing again and it's just been working day-to-day.
02:21We thought it was better to wait for this game instead of the weekend for my return.
02:29This morning, Saka said that Arsenal have not lost in the last two years in Champions
02:37League.
02:38Do you think it will be a tough test tomorrow at the stadium?
02:42I didn't know that but I don't think that really changes much.
02:49We've won 15 Champions League but it doesn't really change anything.
02:54We know they're a strong team at home.
03:02There are teams who are very strong at home and we know Arsenal are one of those teams.
03:07I don't think that really changes much for the game tomorrow.
03:12Each game of football is different.
03:16Every stadium is different.
03:21Teams have come here many times this season and not been able to win.
03:25They've been strong at home for a long time this season.
03:29We know Arsenal are very strong at home.
03:33We know it's going to be a really tough game and we'll have that on our minds tomorrow.
03:42We want to talk more about set-pieces, apart from the positioning of the defenders.
03:55Arsenal are very strong from set-pieces.
04:00Will the movement they have in set-pieces, will that cause problems for you?
04:12We defend like we defend.
04:15We tend to defend in a zonal system, with blocks.
04:20Other teams go man-to-man.
04:24Sometimes you have to try and use your intuition to guess if it's going to the first post,
04:30second post.
04:35We know that Arsenal will try and block me.
04:37You have to be switched on to that and try and defend against it.
04:42You can't go looking to ask for a foul.
04:47As a goalkeeper it's important to analyse set-pieces.
04:54Tomorrow we'll try and be strong in that area because set-pieces are very important.
05:01They can win a game like that if you get a goal from set-pieces.
05:05It can really help you.
05:13This season, Madrid, have been struggling to finish off games, leaving things to the end.
05:24Do you think that will work against the rival, knowing that Madrid have that capacity to
05:30come back late in games?
05:34What will you do to try and make sure you're not shaky to the end?
05:39We always try and find solutions early in games.
05:47Sometimes physically we improve as games go on.
05:51We have players who can make a difference, come on, give us fresh legs.
05:55That's very important in situations like this.
06:02If we can have games wrapped up by the 60th minute, it's better, but that's part of football, you know.
06:12Each game is different, it just depends what happens.
06:18I wanted to ask you about your fellow Belgian team-mate, Kevin Groenels, announcing that
06:22he will leave Manchester City.
06:24Just like you at Real Madrid, he's been with Atletico for so long, what was your idea when
06:27you heard that?
06:28Where do you rate him, if you look at the best players that Belgium has had?
06:32No, for sure he's one of the best ever players to play in the Belgian national team and with
06:38the Belgian nationality.
06:40Also in the Premier League, I think, obviously winning six Premier Leagues.
06:45I think what he gave to City, I guess he's one of the best players also to have played
06:51in the Premier League.
06:53Obviously last time we were in the national team, I kind of felt maybe that he was going
06:58to move on, so I was not entirely surprised to hear him say this last week.
07:04I'm sure he's a great player and one of the greatest in the Premier League.
07:10Obviously I hope next year also with Belgium he can still be at the highest level and that
07:16we can reach the World Cup and have a great World Cup together.
07:20Welcome back to London today.
07:23The Arsenal players actually stayed late to watch a penalty shootout in the tunnel just
07:27down there.
07:28They've got a huge amount of respect for the 15 titles Real Madrid have won and all you
07:33have to offer.
07:34But what is your view of what Arsenal have done since you've left the coming through
07:38of the Puyo Saka, the transformation of Arteta?
07:40What's the view of the Real Madrid dressing room?
07:43Because in this country everyone's in awe of what Real Madrid have done.
07:47What do you all think of what Arsenal have done?
07:50I think we have a lot of respect for Arsenal.
07:52I have a lot of Arsenal friends, supporters that are fans of Arsenal.
07:59Obviously I know they have been doing great, that they've been close to winning a Premier
08:05League.
08:06They're playing well, they're a young team with some experienced players of a good mix.
08:11They defend well, they can press high, they can defend in a low block.
08:16They're quick on the counter-attack, they have people who can score easily, obviously
08:20they have the set-pieces.
08:21So we know it's a team hard to break down and a team that can score easily also.
08:25So we have a lot of respect for them.
08:28We analysed well how they play and where we can hopefully hurt them and where they cannot
08:33hurt us.
08:34So we hope on a great game tomorrow.
08:36Obviously we hope to win.
08:39But I think Arsenal is doing great and I guess it's a matter of time before they win another
08:45trophy.
08:46Hopefully we can pass in the Champions League.
08:48But they are doing great.
08:49A lot of Arsenal fans are going to be very happy to see you here.
08:54They were hoping you'd be injured and not travel.
08:57You are here.
08:58The fact that you're giving the news conference, does that mean that you're definitely going
09:02to start and are you fully fit?
09:04Yeah, I'm fully fit.
09:05So if I start, you have to ask the manager after.
09:09But yeah, I'm fit, I feel good.
09:12It was also not a big issue.
09:14So I could train in the gym and do my routines and I have been on the pitch for the last
09:19day.
09:20So I feel fine 100% and hopefully ready to help the team tomorrow.
09:24The members of the Emirates obviously played matches here, evening matches as well.
09:28Good atmosphere?
09:29Yeah, it's a great place to play at.
09:33The pitch is great.
09:34There's always a good atmosphere.
09:36Always had nice games with Chelsea.
09:39Also a loss.
09:40So hopefully tomorrow is different.
09:42But yeah, it's always up for a good game.
09:50This October in the press conference before a game, you said there's been a lot of criticism.
10:02You said some of the criticism this team has received has been over the top.
10:07We played quite badly against Valencia.
10:11We wanted to win that game, but we failed to score a penalty.
10:15Then they went and scored a goal.
10:17They made some good saves and then in the last minute conceded the goal.
10:25I don't think we're playing badly, like some of the critics have said.
10:30I think we're going well, but some of the results haven't matched that.
10:36But we're here now and all the competitions are alive.
10:41We're competing in everything and we're going to fight until the very end.
10:44The team knows what we have to do.
10:48The most important thing is the results though.
11:00I wanted to ask you about the change you see in Real Madrid in the Champions League
11:04and how they can just flick the switch and play at a different level.
11:09How would you explain that?
11:12I don't think there's really a big change.
11:15Perhaps it's more noticeable because it's the Champions League.
11:18But we take every game 100% seriousness.
11:22It's not like we cruise in La Liga.
11:27In La Liga, every game is important.
11:33Sometimes being in the Champions League, the level is a bit higher.
11:39It means people raise their game a bit, perhaps.
11:46But also in the Champions League, you're punished for every error you make.
11:51More so than in La Liga.
11:54It's a noticeable change because we know we need to be 100%.
12:02Continuing with that question regarding the criticism you've received.
12:09Do the players choose games where they're going to be more motivated,
12:13where they're going to play better?
12:15Is it like that?
12:16No, it's not like that.
12:19We know what we have to do to play well in every game,
12:26to play the best we can.
12:28Sometimes a journalist might think one thing.
12:34That players don't approach games with the same motivation,
12:38but that's not true.
12:40We don't see it like that as players.
12:42We're all teammates.
12:45We always want to play well.
12:48We don't choose which games we're going to perform in.
12:50It's not like that.
12:52There's motivation for every game we compete in.
12:55In the Champions League, perhaps it's extra high,
12:58but we give 100% in every game.
13:02We do it for the badge, for the shirt, for this club.
13:06We're all fans, we're all passionate about that.
13:08We always give 100%.
13:09We always leave everything on the pitch.
13:11No, it's not like we choose which games we're going to play well in.