Lunin ready to fight to become the starting goalkeeper for Real Madrid

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Madrid Voice

·3 de octubre de 2024

Lunin ready to fight to become the starting goalkeeper for Real Madrid

Andriy Lunin got back on the pitch as Real Madrid faced LOSC Lille last night in their second UEFA Champions League game of the League Phase. Unfortunately, the Ukrainian’s return was not too much of an auspicious occasion as the Merengues saw their 36-game unbeaten run end on the night.

Lille won this game with a 1-0 scoreline, and Lunin cannot be held to too much blame. The hosts scored from a penalty given away by an Eduardo Camavinga handball right at the cusp of half-time, and Jonathan David struck the ball with such skill that it was impossible to save for the Real Madrid shot-stopper.

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Still, this defeat will not help Lunin’s cause as he looks to compete with Thibaut Courtois for a starting spot. But as MARCA has reported, the Ukrainian spoke to the media after the game and was in no mood to give up in this fight:

“My contract renewal is a gesture of trust from the club towards me. From day one, I’ve said that this is the club of my dreams. Obviously, no one is going to give you anything for free, and everyone has seen what I’m capable of doing. I can be the number one here, and I will keep fighting for my place with the utmost respect for Courtois.”

Regarding the result, the goalkeeper did not seem too much affected by the defeat:

“There’s no need to draw too many conclusions. We were on a great unbeaten run. We’re the same team, these things can happen, and now we have to prepare for the next game at home with our fans.”

Lunin went on to plead with the footballing authorities to lighten the schedule:

“Playing like this is difficult both physically and mentally. The people in charge should think it over better. Two days ago, we had a very demanding match, both physically and emotionally.”

Thibaut Courtois is not expected to return very soon with his latest abductor injury, and Lunin will have more chances to put things right in the coming days. Hopefully, both these goalkeepers will continue to play at the highest level so Real Madrid do not have to suffer even when one of them is unavailable.