Thibaut Courtois did not return for the second half against Manchester City. The reason has been revealed
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
Despite a comfortable first half for Real, who took the lead thanks to Vinicius's goal in the 22nd minute and gained a numerical advantage after Bernardo Silva was sent off, the Madrid side suffered a major setback—the team lost its main guardian between the posts.
Details: Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois did not appear on the pitch after halftime. According to Onda Cero, the substitution was forced—Courtois picked up an injury.
It remains unclear whether the injury is mechanical or a recurrence of previous issues, but the medical staff decided not to risk Thibaut’s health at such a crucial stage of the season. Andriy Lunin took over between the sticks for Los Blancos in the second half.
As of the 50th minute, the score remains 1-1, with the aggregate score favoring the Madrid club 4-1 over two legs.
Reminder: Real forward Vinicius Junior matched his personal record for goal contributions against a single team in the Champions League.
