Courtois previews Arsenal - Real Madrid champions league first leg - video Dailymotion

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Courtois previews Arsenal - Real Madrid champions league first leg  07/04/2025  Emirates Stadium, London, Uk

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00:00How do you feel after everything and how is Real Madrid feeling going into this massive

00:11game against Arsenal?

00:12I feel great.

00:14I had a small problem but it was something that I had to work on day-to-day but for the

00:20last few days I've been coming back and now I feel 100%.

00:23I feel good.

00:24I think the team, we have to continue.

00:27We lost against Valencia but now the focus is on the Champions League.

00:31It's a huge game tomorrow and we have to try and win.

00:35How are you doing Thibaut?

00:47Arsenal have scored lots of goals from set-pieces this season in the Premier League.

00:52Real Madrid have conceded many, including against Valencia.

00:56What's been lacking for you in this area?

00:58Have you been lacking concentration?

01:01We worked on it yesterday.

01:03We know that we have to try and defend situations like that and also try and not concede many

01:11corners.

01:14It's a question of concentration.

01:17Sometimes the quality of the rival can cause us problems.

01:23They might be well-positioned but we know how hard it can be to defend against good

01:29teams but we're ready to defend well against them.

01:32We think we've prepared well for this.

01:43How are you feeling after your muscular injury?

01:49Do you feel you're at 100%?

01:52I've had a few injuries at the start of the season.

01:58One on my abductor.

01:59One in the game against Atletic.

02:02I took a few blows in that game.

02:07I think before perhaps I got back too early in the season when I had an injury.

02:13It was a minor thing.

02:14Now it's been quite a minor thing again and it's just been working day-to-day.

02:21We thought it was better to wait for this game instead of the weekend for my return.

02:29This morning, Saka said that Arsenal have not lost in the last two years in Champions

02:37League.

02:38Do you think it will be a tough test tomorrow at the stadium?

02:42I didn't know that but I don't think that really changes much.

02:49We've won 15 Champions League but it doesn't really change anything.

02:54We know they're a strong team at home.

03:02There are teams who are very strong at home and we know Arsenal are one of those teams.

03:07I don't think that really changes much for the game tomorrow.

03:12Each game of football is different.

03:16Every stadium is different.

03:21Teams have come here many times this season and not been able to win.

03:25They've been strong at home for a long time this season.

03:29We know Arsenal are very strong at home.

03:33We know it's going to be a really tough game and we'll have that on our minds tomorrow.

03:42We want to talk more about set-pieces, apart from the positioning of the defenders.

03:55Arsenal are very strong from set-pieces.

04:00Will the movement they have in set-pieces, will that cause problems for you?

04:12We defend like we defend.

04:15We tend to defend in a zonal system, with blocks.

04:20Other teams go man-to-man.

04:24Sometimes you have to try and use your intuition to guess if it's going to the first post,

04:30second post.

04:35We know that Arsenal will try and block me.

04:37You have to be switched on to that and try and defend against it.

04:42You can't go looking to ask for a foul.

04:47As a goalkeeper it's important to analyse set-pieces.

04:54Tomorrow we'll try and be strong in that area because set-pieces are very important.

05:01They can win a game like that if you get a goal from set-pieces.

05:05It can really help you.

05:13This season, Madrid, have been struggling to finish off games, leaving things to the end.

05:24Do you think that will work against the rival, knowing that Madrid have that capacity to

05:30come back late in games?

05:34What will you do to try and make sure you're not shaky to the end?

05:39We always try and find solutions early in games.

05:47Sometimes physically we improve as games go on.

05:51We have players who can make a difference, come on, give us fresh legs.

05:55That's very important in situations like this.

06:02If we can have games wrapped up by the 60th minute, it's better, but that's part of football, you know.

06:12Each game is different, it just depends what happens.

06:18I wanted to ask you about your fellow Belgian team-mate, Kevin Groenels, announcing that

06:22he will leave Manchester City.

06:24Just like you at Real Madrid, he's been with Atletico for so long, what was your idea when

06:27you heard that?

06:28Where do you rate him, if you look at the best players that Belgium has had?

06:32No, for sure he's one of the best ever players to play in the Belgian national team and with

06:38the Belgian nationality.

06:40Also in the Premier League, I think, obviously winning six Premier Leagues.

06:45I think what he gave to City, I guess he's one of the best players also to have played

06:51in the Premier League.

06:53Obviously last time we were in the national team, I kind of felt maybe that he was going

06:58to move on, so I was not entirely surprised to hear him say this last week.

07:04I'm sure he's a great player and one of the greatest in the Premier League.

07:10Obviously I hope next year also with Belgium he can still be at the highest level and that

07:16we can reach the World Cup and have a great World Cup together.

07:20Welcome back to London today.

07:23The Arsenal players actually stayed late to watch a penalty shootout in the tunnel just

07:27down there.

07:28They've got a huge amount of respect for the 15 titles Real Madrid have won and all you

07:33have to offer.

07:34But what is your view of what Arsenal have done since you've left the coming through

07:38of the Puyo Saka, the transformation of Arteta?

07:40What's the view of the Real Madrid dressing room?

07:43Because in this country everyone's in awe of what Real Madrid have done.

07:47What do you all think of what Arsenal have done?

07:50I think we have a lot of respect for Arsenal.

07:52I have a lot of Arsenal friends, supporters that are fans of Arsenal.

07:59Obviously I know they have been doing great, that they've been close to winning a Premier

08:05League.

08:06They're playing well, they're a young team with some experienced players of a good mix.

08:11They defend well, they can press high, they can defend in a low block.

08:16They're quick on the counter-attack, they have people who can score easily, obviously

08:20they have the set-pieces.

08:21So we know it's a team hard to break down and a team that can score easily also.

08:25So we have a lot of respect for them.

08:28We analysed well how they play and where we can hopefully hurt them and where they cannot

08:33hurt us.

08:34So we hope on a great game tomorrow.

08:36Obviously we hope to win.

08:39But I think Arsenal is doing great and I guess it's a matter of time before they win another

08:45trophy.

08:46Hopefully we can pass in the Champions League.

08:48But they are doing great.

08:49A lot of Arsenal fans are going to be very happy to see you here.

08:54They were hoping you'd be injured and not travel.

08:57You are here.

08:58The fact that you're giving the news conference, does that mean that you're definitely going

09:02to start and are you fully fit?

09:04Yeah, I'm fully fit.

09:05So if I start, you have to ask the manager after.

09:09But yeah, I'm fit, I feel good.

09:12It was also not a big issue.

09:14So I could train in the gym and do my routines and I have been on the pitch for the last

09:19day.

09:20So I feel fine 100% and hopefully ready to help the team tomorrow.

09:24The members of the Emirates obviously played matches here, evening matches as well.

09:28Good atmosphere?

09:29Yeah, it's a great place to play at.

09:33The pitch is great.

09:34There's always a good atmosphere.

09:36Always had nice games with Chelsea.

09:39Also a loss.

09:40So hopefully tomorrow is different.

09:42But yeah, it's always up for a good game.

09:50This October in the press conference before a game, you said there's been a lot of criticism.

10:02You said some of the criticism this team has received has been over the top.

10:07We played quite badly against Valencia.

10:11We wanted to win that game, but we failed to score a penalty.

10:15Then they went and scored a goal.

10:17They made some good saves and then in the last minute conceded the goal.

10:25I don't think we're playing badly, like some of the critics have said.

10:30I think we're going well, but some of the results haven't matched that.

10:36But we're here now and all the competitions are alive.

10:41We're competing in everything and we're going to fight until the very end.

10:44The team knows what we have to do.

10:48The most important thing is the results though.

11:00I wanted to ask you about the change you see in Real Madrid in the Champions League

11:04and how they can just flick the switch and play at a different level.

11:09How would you explain that?

11:12I don't think there's really a big change.

11:15Perhaps it's more noticeable because it's the Champions League.

11:18But we take every game 100% seriousness.

11:22It's not like we cruise in La Liga.

11:27In La Liga, every game is important.

11:33Sometimes being in the Champions League, the level is a bit higher.

11:39It means people raise their game a bit, perhaps.

11:46But also in the Champions League, you're punished for every error you make.

11:51More so than in La Liga.

11:54It's a noticeable change because we know we need to be 100%.

12:02Continuing with that question regarding the criticism you've received.

12:09Do the players choose games where they're going to be more motivated,

12:13where they're going to play better?

12:15Is it like that?

12:16No, it's not like that.

12:19We know what we have to do to play well in every game,

12:26to play the best we can.

12:28Sometimes a journalist might think one thing.

12:34That players don't approach games with the same motivation,

12:38but that's not true.

12:40We don't see it like that as players.

12:42We're all teammates.

12:45We always want to play well.

12:48We don't choose which games we're going to perform in.

12:50It's not like that.

12:52There's motivation for every game we compete in.

12:55In the Champions League, perhaps it's extra high,

12:58but we give 100% in every game.

13:02We do it for the badge, for the shirt, for this club.

13:06We're all fans, we're all passionate about that.

13:08We always give 100%.

13:09We always leave everything on the pitch.

13:11No, it's not like we choose which games we're going to play well in.

Courtois previews Arsenal - Real Madrid champions league first leg

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