‘It’s not easy to score against me’: Courtois the key to Madrid’s wild ride

At the end of Tuesday’s session as Real Madrid began preparations for the Champions League final, a group of players gathered at one end of Valdebebas training ground and took turns rattling off shots, cheering the best and laughing at the worst. Standing in their way, also rotating, were three goalkeepers but Thibaut Courtois was not among them and maybe it was better that way. This is the man Carlo Ancelotti told to ease off in training for the good the team, joking: “I say to him: ‘You have to give our forwards more confidence because you always save every shot they take.’”

After Real Madrid’s first Champions League match this season, Courtois said: “It’s good for them to see that it’s not easy to score against me.” He at least was talking about the opponents and as usual he was right. It would also become a recurring theme. Internazionale had taken 14 shots in the first half and not scored. By full time the Belgian had made eight saves. Now he is up to 50.

Related: Eduardo Camavinga: the supersub ready to shape Real Madrid’s future | Jonathan Liew

To put that in context Alisson is on 14 and Ederson ended his European involvement with 15. Which is why Courtois, and Madrid, are still here eight months and 12 games later. It has been, Courtois says, “the nicest run you can have”.

The maddest too. Madrid’s journey has been inexplicable at times, much made of fortune and destiny, the magic of the Bernabéu, that something Real have, and Courtois says history and identity “definitely” play a part, for both teams. “You just have to see the home games against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City. You can see the moment we score, the reaction of the other team; they know what can happen.

“That is what makes