Courtois Admits Mistake as Real Madrid Crushed by Arsenal in Champions League

Thibaut Courtois has addressed Real Madrid’s heavy 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash at the Emirates Stadium last night. The Belgian goalkeeper admitted his failure to anticipate free-kick situations effectively contributed to the goals conceded.

Declan Rice — who had never scored directly from a free-kick prior to this match — netted twice in the second half, while Mikel Merino sealed Arsenal’s commanding victory with a third goal in the dying minutes.

“I thought the wall was well-formed. Normally, I would have added one more player. But I didn’t expect Declan to turn the ball so accurately. If I had put a teammate on the wall, it would have been different. I am responsible for this mistake,” Courtois said.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti conceded his team now faces a “slim chance” of progressing to the semifinals, requiring a dramatic comeback in next week’s second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Recent Results & Upcoming Fixtures:

• A 1-2 La Liga loss to Valencia last weekend
• The 0-3 defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League
• A La Liga clash against Alavés this weekend
• The decisive second leg against Arsenal on Wednesday