Not Bellingham or Vinicius – The Real Madrid star proving to be Xabi Alonso’s safety net at club | OneFootball

Real Madrid closed out 2025 with a home victory over Sevilla, but the result did not bring the sense of calm that Xabi Alonso would have hoped for heading into the break. 

Winning at the Santiago Bernabeu is always valuable, especially at a moment when confidence matters, yet the feelings remained far from convincing.

Against Sevilla, Real Madrid once again showed the same contradictions that have followed them for weeks. The result was positive, but the performance raised familiar questions. 

The players sensed it, and from his privileged position between the posts, Thibaut Courtois saw it more clearly than anyone else.

Speaking after the match, the Madrid goalkeeper delivered a brutally honest assessment that quickly went viral. 

He did not hide behind the scoreline or the clean sheet, instead pointing directly at what he believes must change. 

“In 2026, we have to improve. Let’s hope that 2026 brings trophies. To do that, we have to improve a little more. And then the joy will come,” he said.

Alonso’s lifeline

It must be noted that against Sevilla, Courtois was extremely crucial, and as per AS, he made a total of five saves during the match, which was his third-best performance of the season.

The only two games where he has been forced to make more saves were against Manchester City (six) and Liverpool (eight).

Courtois made crucial saves against Sevilla. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

Statistically, Real Madrid did more than enough to justify the victory. Yet numbers alone did not tell the full story. 

Defensive fragility once again threatened to undo all that attacking intent, as Sevilla managed 14 shots, five of them on target. On another night, those chances could have turned the match on its head.

That is where Courtois stepped in, once again acting as Real Madrid’s safety net. The Belgian produced several decisive interventions, none more important than two one-on-one situations. 

Courtois also dealt calmly with a couple of powerful long-range efforts, saves that look routine only because of his extraordinary level.

Thanks to those interventions, Real Madrid kept a clean sheet for the tenth time this season. 

More than just a goalkeeper, Courtois has become Xabi Alonso’s lifeline. His words carried weight because they reflected reality, not optimism. 

Real Madrid ended 2025 with a win, but the message from their leader at the back was clear – victories alone will not be enough.