Paris Saint-Germain continued their dominant display in the world of football with a comfortable 4-0 win over Real Madrid at MetLife Stadium on Wednesday.
The victory saw PSG book a place in the final where they will face Premier League side Chelsea.
Speaking in the mixed zone after the match, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois tried to explain the heavy defeat and pointed to the difference in pressing between the two teams as a decisive factor.
“The difference was in how we each pressed. We didn’t always do it well, we left them too much space – and when you give them that, they punish you. That’s exactly what happened in the first half,” Courtois said.
“In the second half, we had more possession because they pressed us less, but we couldn’t create anything. And they still managed to score again. It’s tough,” added the Belgian international.
Fabian Ruiz #8 of Paris Saint-Germain scores his team’s third goal past Federico Valverde and Thibaut Courtois #1 of Real Madrid C.F. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
PSG’s first two goals came from their high pressing. For the opener, Ousmane Dembele closed down Raul Asensio, and after a collision with Courtois, the ball fell kindly to Fabian Ruiz to slot home. The second came from Dembele again, as he pressured Antonio Rudiger into an error and scored himself after rounding Courtois.
Madrid’s loss cemented an end to their disappointing season and Courtois hopes the team can learn from their poor campaign — and he sees PSG as the benchmark.
“It’s a blow that helps us learn, improve, and correct things, because there’s still a lot of work to do. They are Champions League winners. It shows the level we need to reach,” the goalkeeper concluded.
Real Madrid have begin a new phase under Xabi Alonso with the club also bringing in some new face like former Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Meanwhile, Luka Modric played his final game for the club on Wednesday as he will be allowed to leave the club. The Croatia international has agreed to join Seria A side AC Milan.
