Mourinho’s bold Courtois plan gives Real Madrid an extra man in build-up

Thibaut Courtois is playing an increasingly important role in Real Madrid’s attempts to build from the back this season, with manager Jose Mourinho reportedly using the goalkeeper as an additional player in midfield.

The idea is intended to help Real Madrid progress the ball without requiring a specialist holding midfielder such as Rodri, according to Cadena COPE journalist Ruben Martin, who discussed the tactical approach on his YouTube channel.

His comments were reported by Defensa Central. Martin said Courtois had become central to the plan because his positioning creates a numerical advantage during the first phase of possession.

“Courtois is the key piece in this aspect because he helps the team create a numerical superiority during the build-up, with Dean Huijsen and Ibrahima Konate positioned wide apart while the goalkeeper occupies the central area,” he said.

Martin went further, describing the Belgium international as Mourinho’s alternative to Rodri in the centre of the pitch.

“Real Madrid’s replacement for Rodri is called Courtois, a goalkeeper who is two metres tall and plays as a holding midfielder. Joking aside, this is a solution Mourinho will use this season,” he said.

The tactical approach is based on having one more player involved in the build-up than the number used by the opposition to press. Against Real Betis, who applied pressure with two players, Real Madrid needed three players to begin their possession phase safely.

“Teams have to start playing from the build-up area with one extra player compared with the number of players the opponent uses to press,” Martin said. “Real Betis pressed with two players, so Real Madrid had to bring the ball out with three.”

The conventional options would be to begin with the two centre-backs and a midfielder, or with the two centre-backs and a full-back. Martin said Mourinho did not want to rely on either of those familiar structures, instead placing the goalkeeper between the two defenders.

“The usual way to build from the back is through the two centre-backs and a midfielder, or through the two centre-backs and the full-back, but Mourinho did not want to exhaust that option,” he added.

However, Martin acknowledged that the plan carries an element of risk because Courtois’ ability to use the ball at his feet must be tested under pressure.

“He used two centre-backs positioned wide apart and the goalkeeper in the middle. I want to see Courtois’ quality with the ball at his feet and find out how things develop with him. It is a solution, and we have to see how successful it will be,” he said.

Courtois remains a major source of security in goal, but distribution is an area that has proved difficult for many goalkeepers. Mourinho nevertheless has complete confidence in the Belgian, having known him for many years and previously worked with him at Chelsea.

The manager is understood to have a clear view of Courtois’ capabilities and no doubts about his capacity to carry out the role effectively. His presence in the centre could also help Huijsen and Konate move the ball out more cleanly.

The approach appeared to reduce the impact of Real Betis’ pressure on Real Madrid, although the absence of a dedicated midfield organiser capable of controlling this phase remains a subject of widespread discussion.

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