All of Real Madrid’s defeats this season have been relatively heavy ones, and the loss against Benfica last night in Lisbon was only the latest of them.
Needing just a draw to stay in the top-8, Los Blancos dropped all three points and crashed out of the privileged list, ending up in ninth place and entering the playoff spots.
Truth be told, however, the result was deserved as Jose Mourinho’s side were the better team by some distance, and Real Madrid never really got going at the level they should have in a UEFA Champions League clash.
Courtois’ anger
The final play last night was particularly traumatising for Real Madrid, as they were already two men down and had to defend against a Benfica free-kick which was eventually turned in by their goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin.
Immediately after the game, the players began making their way off the field in frustration and disappointment, and as relayed by AS, that did not go down well with veteran Thibaut Courtois.
The Belgian goalkeeper did not see the action of his teammates as right and rightly saw it as a move of weakness for them to avoid facing the travelling Real Madrid fans.
Thibaut Courtois of Real Madrid
Courtois was angry with his teammates after Benfica loss. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)
Graceful as ever and committed to the crest and the fanbase, the goalkeeper expecetd for all his teammates to show their face to the fans and apologise for the disastrous show after all the love they have showered on the team for years.
Moreover, it was a section of travelling fans who had arrived to witness the game and cheer the team in Lisbon, and for Real Madrid to put up such a terrible show for them was unexpected.
The fans at the Santiago Bernabeu have made it clear how they see the team’s newfound struggles to be, and while they have always supported them through their highs, they are entitled to be disappointed on nights like yesterday.
Courtois’ very thought of showing face to the travelling fans, and the rest of the dressing room’s instinctive evasion of the confrontation, needless to say, speak volumes about the lack of accountability and leadership in the dressing room.