Courtois: El Clasico victory over Barcelona would send a powerful message

Thibaut Courtois says Real Madrid are determined to respond to their recent setbacks against Barcelona when the two sides meet in Sunday’s El Clasico at Camp Nou.

The Spanish league leaders host Real Madrid in the 10th round of La Liga, with Courtois stressing the importance of securing a result against their long-standing rivals.

“It is a strong and exciting rivalry,” the Real Madrid goalkeeper told Spanish broadcaster DAZN. “Over the past few years, they have hurt us in some matches, and now it is time to respond.”

Courtois believes victory in Barcelona would carry significance beyond the three points.

“Winning at their stadium would send a powerful message to everyone,” he added.

The goalkeeper also highlighted the new generation of players involved in the fixture. He said some of the star names had been absent from previous Clasicos, but believes the contest now features a fresh collection of leading players.

“Perhaps some of the stars were missing from certain Clasicos in the past, but there are new players who have emerged now,” Courtois said.

“​​We have Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham, while Barcelona have Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, who is a wonderful player.”

Barcelona go into the match top of the La Liga table with 27 points from nine victories, having won every league game so far. Real Madrid are third on 21 points after suffering two defeats.

Courtois also discussed the Ballon d’Or debate and questioned whether the award should go to the player who has collected the most trophies or the individual who performed best regardless of team success.

“What do we do with the Ballon d’Or?” he said. “Do we choose a player who won titles, or a player who was better than everyone else without winning a trophy?”

The Belgium international was referring specifically to Mbappe, who he believes was the outstanding individual player despite Real Madrid ending the period without silverware.

“I am talking about Kylian Mbappe,” Courtois said. “Individually, there was no player better than him, but we did not win anything. He also finished fourth at the World Cup, even though he produced exceptional performances.”

Courtois contrasted Mbappe’s individual level with Yamal’s achievements with Spain.

“Lamine Yamal was not as outstanding as Mbappe, but he became a world champion, won titles and had a superb year,” he added.