Former Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has made his return to Stamford Bridge for a second time since he made the switch to Real Madrid from the Blues. The 29-year-old joined Los Blancos in 2018 for roughly £31.5million.
The Belgian has impressed this season, keeping 12 clean sheets in 30 La Liga appearances so far and conceding just 26 goals. His displays have been a key reason for the side leading the way for the Spanish title this season.
The nature of his exit from Chelsea has not made him a popular figure among the fanbase though, but he tried to explain the reasoning behind the move, saying: “Maybe my departure was less pleasant but it's always difficult to leave. We'll see tomorrow. I'm here to help Real Madrid win and reach the semi-finals.
READ MORE: What current owner Roman Abramovich has done as he looks to sell the club
"That’s in the past. I played here for four years and I won two league titles and two cups. Maybe my departure was less pleasant but it is always difficult to leave. I am here to win tomorrow," he added. "I was at Chelsea for five years. They loaned me to Atletico, come back, I got to work with Petr Cech and win two Premier Leagues. I am always grateful and I think Chelsea can continue to be one of the best in the world."
Since then, the Blues have had a number of goalkeepers to try and find a suitable replacement. They eventually landed on Edouard Mendy, who has been praised as one of the best shot-stoppers in the world for the past year.
Performances from the Senegal goalkeeper have kept Thomas Tuchel's side in games this season, while he could still have a big part to play before the end of the campaign. Despite this, the Chelsea fans were still not best pleased with Courtois on his return.
When he emerged for his warm-up before the game, a section of fans booed the goalkeeper, clearly unhappy with his exit four years ago. It remains to be seen whether the atmosphere will impact his performance during the game, but it could make his task on the night tougher.
