Actual Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois thinks the absence of a participant like Joselu price them of their 2-1 defeat to Arsenal within the Champions League on Wednesday.
Madrid have been unable to mount a fightback following their 3-0 first-leg defeat on the Emirates Stadium, going out on the last-eight stage for the primary time since 2004 in opposition to Monaco.
In Wednesday’s second leg, Madrid put 43 crosses into the penalty space in comparison with Arsenal’s 9, however managed simply three photographs on track.
Final season, Madrid used Joselu as an impression participant to nice impact, with the goal man scoring two late targets to dump Bayern Munich out on the semi-final stage.
Joselu moved to Qatar after Madrid received their fifteenth European crown, however he would have been excellent for Wednesday’s quarter-final second leg, in line with the goalkeeper.
“They defended properly, they pressed excessive, it was very troublesome to seek out gaps,” Courtois advised Movistar.
“We put in quite a lot of crosses, however we don’t have a Joselu to win these aerial duels.”
Madrid registered an xG of simply 1.5 through the match in comparison with Arsenal’s 2.05 xG, although that did embrace Bukayo Saka’s penalty that was saved by Courtois within the first half.
@RealMadridEn 1-2 @Arsenal
65′ Saka.
67′ @ViniJr
90′ + 3′ Martinelli. pic.twitter.com/ORFzGi44g3— Actual Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) April 16, 2025
“After they give a penalty in opposition to you, in case you put it aside, you continue to consider. We felt that the followers have been with us and pushing us,” Courtois continued.
“It will have been very troublesome for them if we scored the primary purpose, as a result of the tie opened up.
“However they have been those who did it, we weren’t profitable. It wasn’t sufficient, Arsenal have been superior.”
Captain Lucas Vazquez agreed with Courtois that Madrid’s assault was stifled through the match, creating only one massive likelihood regardless of having 66.1% of the ball.
“Possibly we lacked readability with the ball, we lacked endurance at instances. We wanted to take the ball back and forth to penetrate a defence that got here to play its function,” he mentioned.
“After we win, all of us win. After we lose, it’s the identical. We at all times give our all, we at all times present our faces. We will solely thanks for the environment immediately. We are going to come again stronger. Madrid will return, at all times.
“There’s quite a lot of the season to play. The group is united and we’re going to work to attain what lies forward.”