Courtois: Lucky to Play with Mbappé, Not Against Him in a 3-0 La Liga Win

Courtois: Relief after a commanding win

Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid's goalkeeper, said his team was desperate to return to winning ways after a string of draws in La Liga, noting that the 3-0 thrashing of Athletic Bilbao was the result of strong work.

Courtois, in statements picked up by the Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, added: "We had to stop talking and start working, and that's what we did... Each match has different circumstances; Athletic plays with a high defensive line, which gave us more space. Against Elche and Girona they dropped back, and we must improve against low blocks."

The Belgian keeper spoke about lifting individual and team performance: "As Real Madrid players, we must give more. In the first half against Girona we did not provide enough. We must realize that if we do not play at full intensity and focus, any team can trouble us. We can't always rely on coming back."

He praised teammate Kylian Mbappe, who continued his dazzling form by scoring a brace to take his tally to 25 goals in 20 matches this season.

"Playing with Mbappe is far better than playing against him. His bursts are unmatched... Sometimes I tell myself: lucky me to play beside him. Punchline 1: If Mbappe's runs were a movie, they'd break the box office. Punchline 2: Our defense is basically a warm-up act for the encore."