According to reports, Courtois’ hands are worth millions to insure, much like Hollywood stars who sometimes make bizarre requests to insure parts of their bodies (Julia Roberts’ smile and Tom Jones’ hair had their own policies). There was even a rumor in football circles that Beckham insured both his legs at his peak. Thibaut’s hands can still guarantee La Liga glory this season.

The latest example was the thrilling 3-2 win over Celta. Five saves from the Belgian, none of which were ordinary. Three of them directly prevented goals, a term often used correctly. For instance, his incredible save against Borja Iglesias’ dangerous shot, which could have leveled the game at 1-1 in the 38th minute, was followed by Mbappé’s goal to make it 2-0. Real Madrid players rushed to congratulate their goalkeeper faster than the teammate who scored a spectacular goal. These are the moments that reveal the truth.

Courtois is the goalkeeper of finals, with his legendary performance in the Paris final that drove Klopp crazy (the German coach said a year later, ‘That night, that damn guy seemed to have twelve hands’). But he also shines in less visible moments. That’s why, even in this turbulent season for Real Madrid, he is still in contention for the Zamora Trophy (La Liga’s best goalkeeper) in a three-way race with Oblak and David Soria.

Saves Against Complacency
On Sunday at the Bernabéu, the spotlight was initially on the energetic Güler, Mbappé’s return, and a fragile defense held together with tape. But Courtois stole the applause. When his teammates faltered, he preserved the 3-2 result.

Borja Iglesias, his rival but friend, said after the match: ‘That damn Courtois never lets us beat Real.’ But Ancelotti explained better what a great goalkeeper he is: ‘I’ve had amazing goalkeepers—Buffon, Čech, Neuer, Dida, Van der Sar, Casillas, Peruzzi, and others—but Courtois is very high in that ranking, among the top three.’ Victory in El Clasico starts with Thibaut’s gloves.