Thibaut Courtois was the best goalkeeper in the world and he had the trophy to prove it. Indeed, the Belgian was handed the Yashin Trophy – the Ballon d’Or for goalkeepers – in 2022 following an outstanding season for Real Madrid which saw him play a key role in a Champions League and LaLiga double.
By Graham Ruthven
This season, however, has been a completely different story for Courtois who has had to watch from the sidelines after tearing an ACL in his knee just two days before Madrid’s opening fixture of the 2023/24 campaign. Most expected Courtois’ absence to be a major storyline in Los Blancos’ season, but it hasn’t been thanks to the performances of Andriy Lunin.
Lunin wasn’t mean to be Courtois’ stand-in. Kepa Arrizabalaga was signed on loan from Chelsea to be that figure. When Kepa failed to make the position his own, though, Lunin took his opportunity and has never looked back. The Ukrainian has been the surprise package of Real Madrid’s campaign.
Many believe Lunin has been the best goalkeeper in LaLiga this season. The 25-year-old is outperforming his post-shot Expected Goals per 90 minutes by 0.28 in La Liga – and by an extremely impressive 0.58 in the Champions League. For context, Courtois’ best-ever La Liga saw him outperform his post-shot xG per 90 minutes by just 0.20 – and by 0.55 in the Champions League.
Against RB Leipzig in the Champions League round of 16, Lunin was particularly outstanding, equalling Courtois’ record for the most saves in a match in the competition. “He was brilliant,” said Carlo Ancelotti afterwards. “He’s highly motivated and playing with real confidence. Playing helps him grow in confidence and he was outstanding today, he did a fantastic job in every respect.”
There has been no drop-off with Lunin in between the posts. He might not stand as tall as Courtois, who has a four-inch advantage, but Lunin is an equally imposing figure. He claims crosses with authority and has the wingspan to reach shots that would flash past inferior goalkeepers.
Without Lunin, Madrid might not have been able to hold things together at the back this season. Courtois isn’t the only major injury the capital club has had to deal with – Éder Militão, David Alaba, Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rüdiger and Ferland Mendy have all missed periods of the season through injury. There was a point earlier this year when Madrid didn’t have a single fit centre-back.
The performances of Lunin was the thing that kept Real Madrid on the straight and narrow through this period. The Ukrainian goalkeeper has earned the respect of those who doubted he could ever become first-choice at the Santiago Bernabéu. This is, after all, a player who has been loaned out to three different clubs in his career.
Of course, the landscape will change when Courtois finally returns from injury. The Belgian has enough credit in the bank to reclaim his spot in the team when he’s fit and available again, but what will that mean for Lunin? He has demonstrated that he is simply too good to sit on the bench again.
Courtois shared the number one jersey with Keylor Navas during his first season at Real Madrid, but that situation ultimately proved to be untenable with the latter leaving Spain to join Paris Saint-Germain. Ancelotti will find it difficult to rotate Courtois and Lunin when both are good enough to play at the elite level.
Recent reports claim Jorge Mendes has been hired as Lunin’s new agent to lead negotiations with Real Madrid over a new contract. The 25-year-old’s current deal at the Santiago Bernabéu runs out next year and all parties seem keen to agree an extension. If, however, talks break down, Mendes will surely get his new client a good move.
Eight points clear at the top of the table, Real Madrid are La Liga’s champions-elect – and have been for some time. Despite drawing Manchester City in the quarter-finals, Los Blancos are also among the favourites to go the distance in the Champions League. The likes of Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior will be identified as game-changes who could decide that tie. Lunin’s contribution could also be significant, just as it has been all season.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every Madrid game live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.