Courtois is the wall of Europe

Madrid rides after its 34th league title on the back of a prodigious defense. The white team has only conceded two goals in the seven games played since the League resumed. It registers a number in defense unpublished in three decades. And Courtois caresses his third Zamora Trophy with his fingers (he won two with Atlético) and the first for a Real Madrid goalkeeper in 12 years, since Casillas achieved it in the 2007-2008 season. Some numbers for the Belgian that not only amaze here, improve those offered by the most outstanding goalkeepers this season in the five major European Leagues …

The Courtois coefficient speaks for itself. It barely fits 0.58 goals per game (18 goals in 31 games), better than Alisson, the guardian of this Liverpool who has devastated the Premier with an almost insulting authority. He Brazilian coefficient is 0.62 (15 goals in 24 games), worse than Real Madrid, and that he played fewer games because of his injury at the start of the season.

Thibaut also yields better statistics than the safest goalkeeper so far in the Italian Serie A, Szczesny, under Juventus goal (his coefficient is 0.81), that an illustrious with gloves, Manuel Neuer (with 0.93 he is the best in the Bundesliga for the champion Bayern) and also the most solid under suit in Ligue 1. In this case, the surprising Serbian Pedrag Rajkovic (Reims), with a great coefficient of 0.66 points per game played. Even Thibaut is ahead of Agustín Marchesín, the goalkeeper who has bolted in Porto, the best in Portugal (0.62 coefficient).

Clothed by a towering defense

The good performance of Madrid behind is a shared merit of Courtois and the rear line, extensible, as Zidane influences, in the collective commitment of the entire team in defensive work and pressure. In San Mamés, The Belgian international was able to keep his goal to zero for the fourth consecutive game. An unbeaten streak that the white team did not achieve since the first four days of the 2015-2016 season, almost five years ago.

With that 0 against Athletic, Courtois has kept his goal to zero in 17 of the 31 league games he has played this season (Areola has added another, in his debut in white against Osasuna). The contrast in the Belgian's performance with respect to last season and at the beginning of this season is remarkable. The previous exercise was only able to bolt in 10 games (played 35) in all competitions (8 League and 2 Champions). He fired the League fitting goal in his last 8 games played, which together with the start of this course made him add 12 consecutive league games receiving a goal.

Until the first league defeat for Mallorca, its stop percentage was less than 50%. After that game, he entered a streak in which he stopped 25 of 28 pitches and reached streaks of over 90% over several games. Now he averages 78.2% of stops throughout the League, the best rate among all LaLiga Santander goalkeepers, ahead of Aitor Fernández (Levante, 76.29%) and Unai Simón (Athletic, 74.76%).

Courtois has conceded 18 goals in 31 league games. An average of 0.58 goals per game. With these numbers it will be difficult for him to miss the Zamora Trophy in these last four days. His immediate pursuer, Oblak has received 25 goals in 34 games, an average of 0.74. Assuming that both play all that remains of the League, the Belgian would have to concede four more goals than the Slovenian in order for that individual recognition to escape him.

Collective effort

The work is not just Courtois'. If Madrid is the least goalscored team in the League (21 goals scored by Atlético's 25) it is also the job of the entire Zidane squad. The Whites are the second team that have the fewest shots to their rival (291, by Getafe's 247) and the least shot between the three suits (94, by Getafe and Atlético's 98). This season, no team has managed to score more than two goals in a league game (the Real in the Cup and the PSG in the Champions League did), something that the Whites have not achieved since the 2009-2010 season.

Much has to make matters worse so that this team does not end the season as the least scored Madrid in history. In the leagues with 20 teams, the best Madrid in this section is that of the 87-88 season (precisely the first campaign with 20 First Division participants). With Beenhakker on the bench and Buyo in goal (35 games for Betanzos', 2 for Ochotorena and 1 for Agustín), La Quinta del Buitre raised their third consecutive League with only 26 goals against. Until day 34, in which they were proclaimed champions, they had 20, one less than this Madrid of Zidane. Buyo received 23 goals that year in the 35 games he played. In the leagues of 18 teams (and 34 games) the best record for whites was in 82-83, when they closed the League with 25 goals received.