Thibaut Courtois has always been straightforward in his assessments, and after the match against Arsenal, he provided a detailed overview of what Real Madrid has endured this season. Without offending anyone, the Belgian goalkeeper laid bare all the issues that were evident in both legs against Arsenal—a well-prepared and organized team—highlighting the European champions’ weaknesses.

1. “We cannot always expect four attacking players to dribble past three defenders and score a spectacular goal. As a team, we need to attack and defend better.”

The word “football” was frequently repeated at the Santiago Bernabéu after Real Madrid’s elimination by Arsenal. This was largely due to the absence of one key player this season: Toni Kroos. The German midfielder, who set the standard for Real Madrid’s play for a decade alongside the brilliant Luka Modrić, left a void that the team has struggled to fill.

Carlo Ancelotti had stated at the beginning of the season that without Kroos, it was time to “play a different game.” However, the Italian coach failed to find the right combination or system throughout the season. Only when he trusted Dani Ceballos alongside Aurélien Tchouaméni did Madrid elevate their game. But Ceballos’ injury plunged the team back into stagnation.

Ancelotti believed that Eduardo Camavinga, Tchouaméni, and Federico Valverde could carry the team, but Madrid has struggled to create goal-scoring opportunities through natural play. Everything has been left to the inspiration of Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Rodrygo, who have not been at their best in the final stretch of the season.

One of Ancelotti’s weaknesses has been his insistence on a 3-3-4 system, despite the fact that the three-man attack has collapsed in recent months. Courtois concluded: “I feel we are a team, but we need to play more collectively and not just rely on individual actions. If two players press Vinícius or Mbappé, one-on-two might work once, but not five times.”

2. “We cross a lot, but this year we don’t have a specialist target man like Joselu.”

Courtois mentioned one name in particular: Joselu. Madrid lost their Plan B from last season and replaced him with a completely different profile in Endrick, who has yet to earn Ancelotti’s trust and lacks the aerial ability of the Spanish striker—a crucial asset last season, both as a starter and substitute. Joselu, seeing limited opportunities alongside Mbappé and Endrick, decided to leave, and the club opted not to sign a target man.

The season has shown that a player like Joselu is never redundant and that Madrid, lacking a clear game plan, could have greatly benefited from a striker capable of converting crosses from full-backs or wingers—opportunities that have rarely been capitalized on. A harsh reality: out of 33 crosses against Arsenal, not a single one resulted in a shot on target!

3. “Arsenal is a team that defends well, is organized, and their wingers and forwards track back…”

Let’s not take Courtois’ words out of context—he was praising Real Madrid’s opponent—but fans at the Bernabéu saw that what Arsenal did was exactly what Madrid failed to do.

Ancelotti has said it many times this season:“We haven’t found balance.” While Mikel Arteta has built a team that “defends well, is organized, and whose wingers and forwards track back,” as Courtois noted, Madrid neither defends well nor do their wingers or forwards track back. After Real Sociedad eliminated them in the Copa del Rey semifinals, Ancelotti said: “We are not a balanced team, but we have the quality in attack.”

In total, Real Madrid players ran 21.2 kilometers less than Arsenal’s players: 12.7 kilometers in the first leg and 8.5 kilometers in the second.

4. “Everyone should look in the mirror and think about what they could have done better. This season has been a bit average, and everyone should be self-critical.”

Courtois didn’t name names and repeatedly emphasized that they are “a great team,” but the reality is that most players have performed below their usual standards this season.

Compared to last season, almost every player has seen a drop in performance, with worrying cases like Vinícius and Camavinga. Players like Jude Bellingham and Valverde have given their all in every game but haven’t been as impactful as last season—likely due to the constantly changing roles they’ve had this season, especially for Valverde.