Zinedine Zidane’s Goalkeeper Crucial In Real Madrid And Manchester City Matchup

KEY POINTS

One of Real Madrid's strengths is their defensive intensity on the field
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois recently won the Zamora trophy
The elite defensive ability Courtois brings to the pitch is crucial in their upcoming match against Manchester City

The incoming Champions League match of Real Madrid against Manchester City will require the defending La Liga champions to be at their best. One key player that is crucial for Real Madrid’s success is goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

The season Courtois has had this year has been nothing short of phenomenal. The way he controls the defense of Real Madrid has propelled the Los Blancos as one of the best in the world. During the latest La Liga season, Courtois managed an unbelievable campaign that can be attributed to Real Madrid's success as his elite anticipation led to only 25 goals conceded.

The incredible defense is one of the key roles to the immense success of Zinedine Zidane’s club as they cruised to 26 wins and only three losses. With the defensive anchor of this year’s Zamora trophy winner, it will be crucial that he maintains his dominance in their match against Manchester City. It’s pivotal for Real Madrid not to concede a goal to match with two goals scored in order for an immediate spot in the next round, per Fansided’s The Real Champs.

Throughout the past few months, Courtois has been on top form and it looks like Real Madrid has a big chance of dominating again on the field. Throughout the Belgian’s career, he has suited up in 77 appearances for Los Blancos. In 34 games in the latest La Liga season, he managed 18 clean sheets for the Santiago Bernabeu-based squad.

The Champions League is familiar territory for Zinedine Zidane as a manager given how he’s piled up multiple awards as a leader of the club. With three straight titles from 2016-2018, Real Madrid will have their eyes set for another trophy in for their historic organization. The latest La Liga title was the 11th championship to Zidane's already illustrious coaching career and he is ready for more.

It will be expected that offensive firepower can take over for Real Madrid but it will also be interesting to see how Manchester City matches up to the defensive strengths of Courtois.