Thibaut Courtois admitted on Monday that Real Madrid have been working on coping with Champions League opponents Arsenal‘s set piece threat, but said it’s “a matter of time” before Mikel Arteta’s team win a trophy.
Madrid face Arsenal for the first time in 19 years at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, in a quarterfinal clash which pits the club which has won a record 15 European Cups against one which has never tasted success in the competition.
Arsenal are famed for their prowess at set pieces, while Madrid have struggled to defend dead balls this season, most recently conceding from a corner in Saturday’s 2-1 home loss to Valencia in LaLiga.
“We worked on it yesterday,” Courtois said in a pre-match news conference on Monday. “We know how we have to try to defend against them. The first thing is not conceding many corners. Then it’s about concentration, being active. Sometimes it’s about the quality of the opponent. If the ball is delivered perfectly, you can be well positioned, but it’s still hard to defend.”
Madrid are second in LaLiga, four points behind leaders Barcelona, and Arsenal are second in the Premier League, 11 behind Liverpool — but the teams’ Champions League record is very different, with Madrid having won the tournament six times in the last 11 seasons.
Arsenal only returned to the competition in 2023, after a six-year absence, reaching the quarterfinals last season. Their most recent major trophy under Arteta was the 2020 FA Cup.
“We have a lot of respect for Arsenal,” Courtois said. “I have a lot of friends who are Arsenal fans. I know they’ve been doing great in the Premier League. They’re a young team, a strong defence, on the counter and set pieces.
“I think Arsenal are doing great. It’s a matter of time before they win a trophy.”
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti backed Vinícius Júnior to deliver in Tuesday’s game, after he missed a penalty and was whistled by some fans at the Bernabéu on Saturday.
“I haven’t spoken with him, I don’t need to,” Ancelotti said. “I know he could have played better, but when he thinks he hasn’t played well, he does very well in the next game. I’m convinced he’ll have a good game tomorrow.”
Ancelotti said Arteta, who praised his opposite number earlier on Monday, had done “a fantastic job” at Arsenal.
“In five years he’s taken this team to the top in Europe,” Ancelotti said. “He’s built a complete team, and there aren’t many in Europe. There are lots of teams that do some things well, but as complete as Arsenal? There aren’t many.”
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