One set of troubling statistics shows just how fragile Real Madrid’s defence has become

One set of troubling statistics shows just how fragile Real Madrid’s defence has become Thibaut Courtois has been Real Madrid’s guardian in goal for a long time now, and his brilliance is now virtually taken for granted at the club. Year after year, the Belgian star’s consistency with Real Madrid has been impeccable and he has been immovable on the big nights, including games like the final of the UEFA Champions League where he has always stood out with his match-winning saves. In that sense, his record this season has been relatively poor with Real Madrid keeping just one clean sheet in eight games. According to  Diario AS , however, the defensive fragility is a far  more important reason  for the poor record than Courtois’ performances themselves. The numbers say everything Courtois’ goal has been exposed this season. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images) Indeed, as highlighted by the Spanish outlet, never before has Courtois’ goal been bombarded with shots at the beginning of a season as heavily as it is being challenged this time around. Since arriving at the club in 2018, the goalkeeper has never faced 37 shots in eight games. This season, however, opponents are finding it easier than ever to open up the defence and thereby average 4.6 shots per game. Despite the constant attempts on target, Courtois has parried away over 75% of them to concede just nine goals, and one can only imagine how the situation would be without him in goal. Mourinho is alert to the situation Mourinho is concerned about the defensive situation. (Photo by Francisco Macia/Getty Images) As reported yesterday, Jose Mourinho is aware and concerned about the team’s defensive record and  considers it ‘impossible’  to compete for La Liga and the UEFA Champions League with such a poor record. What is ironic is that the defence is the department where the club poured in the most money in the summer, only for the situation to get worse. Over the past few weeks, the manager has worked closely with his staff to identify solutions and all signs point to him changing his defensive approach in the coming games. There is word that the manager will ask his centre-backs to play higher and contest for the ball with better and uniform pressure from players across the field. Defence, after all, requires a united effort, and it is time Real Madrid step up.