Mourinho praises Lunin after Courtois' absence in the Clasico

José Mourinho expressed his satisfaction after Sunday evening’s Clasico, where Real Madrid beat FC Barcelona (1-2) despite the absence of Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who was suffering from the flu.

Absence of Courtois and Lunin’s entry

Courtois could not take part in the duel, which forced Real to line up Ukrainian Andriy Lunin between the posts. Lunin, already accustomed to replacing the Belgian, was called upon again for one of the season’s most decisive matches.

The 27‑year‑old goalkeeper answered the call, displaying remarkable composure throughout the match. His intervention was decisive, contributing to the Merengues’ victory.

Mourinho’s praise

In the press conference, Mourinho said that the first questions did not concern Lunin, but that “if Lunin makes mistakes, the second question will be about Lunin”. He reminded that the club has “the best goalkeeper in the world in its ranks, but”, adding that nobody had lamented his absence before the match.

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Before the match, the coach told Lunin: “Given your level in training, you deserve to play and not sit on the bench. Get onto the pitch and show it”. He described the goalkeeper’s performance as “brilliant” and “a great composure”.

Mourinho also highlighted Kylian Mbappé’s double and Lunin’s decisive interventions as key factors of the Madrid success. The Portuguese manager embraced Lunin after the final whistle to congratulate him.

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Courtois’s return remains uncertain, but Mourinho affirmed that if Real still had to do without the Belgian, Lunin was ready to take over.