Courtois noted that Arsenal goalkeeper, Raya did not make any notable save during the encounter.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Real Madrid goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, has praised Arsenal players after they defeated his team 2-1 in the return leg of UEFA Champions League (UCL) quarter-final tie on Wednesday.
Courtois hailed the Gunners while hitting out at his Real Madrid team-mates after they crashed out of the European competition.
Los Blancos came into the second leg of the intriguing encounter trailing 3-0.
In the 13th minute, Courtois denied Bukayo Saka from the penalty spot, stopping him from further extending his team’s lead.
But Saka would eventually give Arsenal the lead in the second half, dinking Mikel Merino’s pass over Courtois.
Even though Vinicius Jr equalized for Madrid after an error from William Saliba, Gabriel Martinelli raced clear to fire home the winner for the visitors in stoppage time.
Speaking after the match, Courtois admitted that Arsenal were better and deserved to win over the two legs.
ALSO READ: Dangote Refinery’s petrol price reduction unsettles fuel importers
However, the Belgian stopper was angry with the displays of the Real Madrid players.
He noted that Arsenal goalkeeper, Raya did not make any notable save during the encounter.
Courtois said: “At half-time we felt that if we had scored the first goal the tie would have been open, in the end they found the first goal, we tied it quickly, you keep believing but we weren’t successful up front.
“I don’t think (David) Raya had to make a single great save.
“We lost against a superior Arsenal and we have to accept it.
“In the end, they’re a team that defends well, is well organised, presses well, and it’s difficult to find space. We put in a lot of crosses, but this year we don’t have Joselu, a natural striker up front.
“We have to analyse carefully what we can do better. We have a lot of season ahead of us, we have the League on the line, the Cup in ten days, and then the Club World Cup. We thank the fans. Thinking about a comeback was great, and I hope we can bring them some joy this season.”
