[Real Madrid](https://www.managingmadrid.com) secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over [Juventus](https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com) in the Club World Cup, and after the match, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois took time in the mixed zone to address both the level of the competition and the team’s performance. The Belgian shot-stopper—as always—was candid in his remarks, pushing back against critics who have dismissed the tournament’s prestige.
“Those of us who know football have never doubted the level of this tournament,” Courtois said. “Obviously, if you believe four Twitter users who think the level is crap, you’re wrong. But people who understand football know that Brazilian teams are good, that Al-Hilal is a great team, that Monterrey can easily beat Dortmund today, and not that European teams are the best.
“I think that’s how it is in the end, the level is high, and that is demonstrated in every game. I think there are many good games, interesting to watch, and we have to keep working well to hopefully reach the final.”
The match itself was a tactical battle. Madrid edged it with a second-half strike from Gonzalo Garcia, and Courtois offered insight into how the team adjusted at halftime after a tight first period.
“In the end, we had set up the game so that we would press higher, man to man, and in the end they dropped back a lot, looked for more counterattacks, and that’s when they caught us out once or twice,” he explained. “Then at half-time, we said we should play more from one side to the other and with more rhythm… suddenly a space can appear in the middle that we can exploit.”
Courtois praised Juventus’s goalkeeper for an impressive performance but stressed Madrid’s overall control: “Their goalkeeper had a great game, Gonzalo scored a great goal, and I think we did a great job defensively, because in the end, they shot twice from distance and that means we did a great job.”
The Belgian also highlighted the role of tactical flexibility, singling out Aurelien Tchouaméni’s ability to adapt across multiple roles: “Aurelien is a bit of a hybrid, he’s a centre-back and a pivot. I think it depends a bit, and I think it’s everyone’s job, all eleven. If suddenly two or three don’t run, it doesn’t matter if you play with three, four, or five at the back, they can be dangerous.”
Lastly, Courtois touched on the overall evolution of Madrid’s style under Xabi Alonso: “I think we’re playing well, we’re staying calm. I think the coach wants us to add passes, that we’re not always going full throttle from one side to the other. It’s good to maintain position and recover with the ball, then quick, fluid passes, and obviously the commitment of the whole team, I think is important.”