Courtois: 'Barca scared after second goal'

"We did not play well in the Spanish Super Cup. The semi-final first leg at home too. Real could have won at the Nou Camp in La Liga but missed the opportunity. However, the team still came here with confidence and showed coolness in finishing, especially at the beginning of the second half, because when the score was 0-2, Barca seemed a bit scared," Courtois told RTVE after the game. fight.

Real marched to Nou Camp after losing the first leg 0-1 at home. It was one of their three consecutive defeats against rivals in 2023. The first was a 1-3 loss in the Spanish Super Cup in January. On March 20, Real opened the scoring in the ninth minute at Barca in La Liga but ultimately lost 1-2. Courtois said that the defeat in the recent El Clasico matches made Real more determined.

Real opened the score at the end of the first half thanks to Vinicius. Courtois contributed because the situation came after he blocked a volley from Robert Lewandowski. Early in the second half, Karim Benzema scored two consecutive goals to help the visitors get ahead. 10 minutes before the end of the second half, Benzema completed a hat-trick to seal a 4-0 victory, thereby sending Real to the final against Osasuna.

The match was tense with a total of 12 yellow cards drawn, including eight for Barca, four for Real, but no one was sent off. Courtois revealed that he had to dissuade Vinicius at the last minute because he was worried about his juniors being kicked out.

"He received a yellow card and it wouldn't be good to receive another. The Barca players looked for Vini and he said something. They tried to provoke Vini to get a red card. Real Madrid need Vini, like today," the 30-year-old goalkeeper recalled.

Real will return to their home ground, receiving Villarreal in the framework of La Liga on the evening of April 8. They are 12 points behind Barca in this arena.