Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was once again the protagonist in Real Madrid's 4-3 victory over Roma, not only for his three decisive saves, but also for his role in the construction of the game. In the match at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, Courtois made 55 passes, a figure that places him as the second player on the team in this regard, only surpassed by midfielder Konaté with 56.
Courtois' performance goes beyond the typical goalkeeper job. By defending the goal area, he prevented the Italian team from scoring more goals, while his ability to distribute the ball demonstrated the need for greater midfield involvement in Real's strategy. The players in the midfield area, such as Valverde (31 passes), Tchouaméni (39) and Bellingham (44), were far behind Courtois' figure, which indicates that Real Madrid opted for a direct style of play and with less intervention from the midfield.
Arda Güler, who played only half an hour, made 27 passes, including the three crosses that generated the white team's goals. This data highlights Real's dependence on the goalkeeper's creativity to generate scoring opportunities, something that had not been seen in their usual way of playing.
The match showed that Real Madrid's “engine room” did not work as expected, and that the goalkeeper had to compensate with his vision and precision in passing. Despite Roma's defeat, Real Madrid managed to secure victory thanks to the performance of Courtois, who proved to be both a savior and a playmaker.
With this result, Real Madrid maintains its position in the Champions League table, while Roma continues to fight to consolidate itself in the group stage. The next challenge for Real will be to continue fine-tuning the cohesion of the midfield, while Courtois will continue to be a key element in both defense and play generation.