Xabi Alonso Hails Thibaut Courtois As Best Goalkeeper In The World Following Liverpool Match

Thibaut Courtois received high praise from Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso following his outstanding performance against Liverpool. Despite a 1-0 defeat at Anfield in the Champions League, Courtois' efforts prevented a heavier loss. Alexis Mac Allister's header in the 61st minute was the only goal, but Courtois made eight crucial saves, including several from Dominik Szoboszlai.

Courtois' performance was reminiscent of his heroics in the 2021-22 Champions League final against Liverpool. This season, he conceded with Marseille's first shot on target but then made 19 consecutive saves in Europe before Liverpool's eighth shot found the net. "For me, we have the best [goalkeeper], we are lucky we have [Courtois], he made great saves today," Alonso told Amazon Prime.

Real Madrid struggled offensively, managing only two shots on target and an expected goals (xG) figure of 0.45, their lowest in over a year. Alonso acknowledged this issue, stating that they lacked threat in the final third despite competing well. "We competed well, but we lacked a bit of a threat in the final third," he said.

The match also marked Trent Alexander-Arnold's return to Anfield after joining Madrid in the summer. The England international faced a cold reception from Liverpool fans when introduced off the bench. "Well, it could be expected," Alonso commented on the reaction. He added that Alexander-Arnold was focused and eager to be part of the game.

Alonso reflected on the tight nature of the match and acknowledged Liverpool's momentum after taking the lead. Despite reaching the last line, Madrid couldn't create as many chances as anticipated. "Unluckily, we couldn't get anything," Alonso noted about their attempts to score.

Despite this setback, Real Madrid remains optimistic about their Champions League campaign. With many points still available in the group stage, they aim to improve their performance and secure advancement to the knockout rounds.