Thibaut Courtois says he takes responsibility for Real Madrid’s collapse against Arsenal.
The Champions League holders are staring a quarter-final exit in the eyes following a 3-0 defeat to the Gunners in the first leg on Tuesday night.
To have any chance of progressing to the semi-final, Real Madrid must score at least three goals without reply in next week’s second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.
This is after Declan Rice scored two quite outstanding free-kicks in the second half, with Mikel Merino extending the lead to leave Arsenal in dreamland against the 15-time winners of the competition.
Courtois has since delivered his verdict on a nightmare night for Los Blancos in north London, shouldering the blame for Rice’s first free-kick all the while bemoaning the manner in which each set-piece was given away.
"I thought I'd positioned the wall well," Courtois told Movistar. "I usually put an extra man in.
“I take responsibility for that, I could have put an extra man in, but I thought [Rice] wouldn't get as much curl on it.
“And the second goal is a great goal. They were unnecessary fouls, when there was no danger. Perhaps we shouldn't make those fouls."
Interestingly, Rice has revealed the piece of advice Bukayo Saka gave him just before he scored the first free-kick ultimately changed the trajectory of the first leg tie.
Bend it like Rice 🔥#UCLonPrime pic.twitter.com/yuhrSzp7AB
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) April 8, 2025
"It's been in the locker," Rice said when asked by Amazon Prime about scoring the free kicks, adding: "But I've hit the wall too many times or it's gone over the bar.
"Originally we were going to cross it and then I've just seen the wall and the goalkeeper's position. So I thought just go for it. And Bukayo [Saka] said to just feel it. The second one I had the confidence. I hit it.
"It didn't make sense to cross it, the line was too high and to chip the ball, was too much of a risk. I looked at the wall and the keeper and I thought 'I'm going to hit it.'"
