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Thibaut Courtois has cited Real Madrid's lack of "press" as the main reason for their 4-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the FIFA Club World Cup semifinal on Wednesday (July 9). While issuing an apology to the fans, the Belgian goalkeeper added that the players failed to follow manager Xabi Alonso's plans.
Speaking to the media, Courtois said Real Madrid need to analyze their loss, adding that the main issue was the "two big mistakes" they made at the start of the match. He said (via Madrid Xtra's X handle):
"We want to apologise to the fans. The problem? We didn't press as a team. Two big mistakes at the start of the game affected us. We failed to follow Xabi's plan. We need to analyze it, but from what I saw, we were always arriving late."
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The goalkeeper went on to claim that Real Madrid were on the right track and that they needed to learn from the defeat. He said:
"It's a tough defeat, but it's a defeat to learn from, we are on the right track. Sometimes a loss like this is good for you to know that there is a lot of work ahead. There's a lot to analyze and learn. We now know where we are, and where to look, and where we want to be and prepare for it."
Fabian Ruiz scored a brace, with Ousmane Dembele scoring another to give PSG a 3-0 lead in the first half. Goncalo Ramos sealed the win in the final minutes of the game to make it 4-0 for the UEFA Champions League winners.
Xabi Alonso weighs in on Real Madrid's S/F loss to PSG in Club World Cup
Xabi Alonso believes PSG had the edge over Real Madrid, as they are far ahead in their process under Luis Enrique. Pointing out that there were positives in the game for his side, Alonso said (via Madrid Xtra's X handle):
"PSG are a team. We have just begun. We suffered, it was difficult. There are many things we want to do better. It hurts today. We can improve. There's a lot of margin. We've found some positives, we leave as a better team."
He added:
"This tournament has shown me what we are and what we can improve. This is the last game of the 24-25. Our season starts in August. This is not what we wanted but it is what it is. We have to accept it. There will be more losses on our way. It's football."
This was Real Madrid's first loss under Xabi Alonso after he took over from Carlo Ancelotti earlier this summer.
