Courtois reveals the secret behind Real Madrid's comeback and sends a frank message to Vinicius
The Belgian goalkeeper played an important role in the victory
Thibaut Courtois played a decisive role in Real Madrid's comeback against AEK Athens, keeping his side afloat with three crucial saves in the first half before praising the team's character and its refusal to stop fighting until the final whistle, insisting that belief in victory runs through the Royal club's identity.
Real Madrid turned a deficit against AEK Athens into a 3-2 victory on Wednesday evening in the fourth round of the Champions League league phase.
Outstanding throughout, the Belgian goalkeeper was one of the main reasons his side stayed in the contest during those early stages, before his teammates flipped the scoreline and claimed a win that keeps them in the hunt for a top-eight finish.
Courtois reflected on the difficulty of the encounter, as highlighted by the newspaper "Marca": "We knew it was a complicated match, because the opponent has great intensity, and the atmosphere in the stadium was wonderful. During the first 15 minutes they pressed us hard".
On Real Madrid's reaction after conceding again, he added: "We tried to score the second goal, but we did not succeed, then they scored. Nevertheless, our reaction was good, and we managed to score the equaliser to make it 2-2 quickly".
For the Belgian, the comeback said everything about the club's character. He pointed to the Roma game: "Belief until the end is the DNA of this club, it is a beautiful thing, exactly as happened against Roma".
The three points matter in the battle for direct qualification to the round of 16. Real Madrid are chasing a top-eight finish this time, having fallen short in the first two seasons of the new system.
He explained: "These are extremely important victories. Theoretically, it is a match you must win, but it is important to stay in the competition for the top eight places. We have to win and remain in this race, after we were unable to be among the top eight in the past two seasons".
Second place in the standings and 12 points left Real Madrid behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain only on goal difference.
Courtois also backed his Brazilian teammate Vinícius Júnior, affirming the confidence of the whole squad in his abilities despite the problems the forwards face against teams built on defensive compactness.
He said: "The entire team trusts him, and he must keep trying. The opponent defends well and puts two or three players up against him, and this is not easy for him, nor for Yan Diomande or Kylian Mbappé. We trust Vinícius, and competition is important".
