Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois faced the media after the team’s 1-1 draw with Al Hilal in their opening match of the FIFA Club World Cup.
It was a frustrating result for Los Blancos, and Courtois did not shy away from sharing his thoughts on what went wrong.
"We didn’t start well," Courtois admitted. "The first half was too slow. Al Hilal were sharper, but we still managed to take the lead. Unfortunately, we gave away a soft penalty, and they levelled the score."
"At halftime, we spoke about it and came out much better in the second half. We created chances and even had a penalty, but it just didn’t go our way."
The Belgian keeper remained optimistic about the team’s progress under new manager Xabi Alonso. "We’re trying to do different things," he said. "But we’ve only had four days of training after four years under a different coach."
"Some habits take time to change. We’ve started playing with a higher line and more intensity. You could see the difference after the break—we were more aggressive, and that’s how we want to play."
Reflecting on his own performance, Courtois said, "I felt good. The heat makes things tough, but I think it’s harder for the outfield players who are running constantly. Sunday’s game will also be challenging with the heat, but we’ll be ready."
When asked about the team’s current state, he explained, "We’re working hard in training and trying to apply everything Xabi is asking of us."
"But that kind of change doesn’t happen overnight. Starting with a draw isn’t ideal, but our focus now is on winning the next two matches."
On whether Real Madrid are under pressure to win the tournament, Courtois responded calmly: "Of course, we always want to win."
"That’s the mindset at Madrid. But we’re also going through changes and trying to improve with every game."
He finished by hinting at what needs to be improved moving forward. "In the first half, we were too slow."
"Our midfielders dropped too deep, and that made things harder for our forwards. We need to play faster and more as a unit," he concluded.