Madrid Derby: Thibaut Courtois Blamed for Chaotic Scenes As Atletico and Real Split Points
- Thibaut Courtois has been accused of being the brain behind the chaotic scenes that marred Sunday's Madrid Derby
- His antics after Eder Militao's goal in the 64th minute are believed to have provoked fans, leading to play halting
- Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti confirmed Courtois picked up an injury as Real Madrid settled for the draw with their city rivals
Thibaut Courtois found himself at the heart of controversy during the latest edition of the Madrid Derby, as events at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano took a chaotic turn.
The Belgian goalkeeper was targeted by Atlético Madrid fans who hurled objects at him in the second half, forcing the match to be temporarily halted for safety reasons.
Source: UGC
Chaotic scenes mar Madrid Derby
Referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer was left with no choice but to suspend the game, instructing both teams to retreat to their locker rooms for a 10-minute break to allow tensions to cool.
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The brief stoppage ultimately led to over seven minutes of additional time being tacked onto the end of the match.
As the game resumed, Angel Correa capitalised on the extended play, levelling the score in the 95th minute with a close-range strike that beat Courtois, per Sports Illustrated.
Real Madrid had earlier taken the lead through Eder Militao, but Correa's late heroics ensured Los Rojiblancos salvaged a point from the 1-1 draw.
Courtois blamed for chaotic scenes
In the aftermath, Atlético manager Diego Simeone pointed fingers at Courtois for inciting the hostile reaction from the home crowd.
According to Simeone, the Belgian's decision to celebrate Militao’s goal directly in front of the Atlético supporters was the spark that lit the fuse.
"Courtois attacked by objects? Well, when he played for us, they threw lighters at him at the [Estadio Santiago] Bernabéu," Simeone remarked, as quoted by Tribuna.
"Courtois? If you provoke people, they get angry. You can celebrate the goal, but not by looking at the stands or making gestures."
Courtois, who once played for Atlético before crossing the divide to join Real via Chelsea, became a figure of contention in the fiery fixture.
His actions may have stoked the passions of the crowd, underscoring how delicate the balance is in such high-stakes city derby encounters.
Oblak surprises Vinicius with rare skill
Earlier, Briefly News reported that Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak displayed technical brilliance to surprise Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior.
Known for his superb shot-stopping, the Slovenian added a new dimension to his game with a bold move while facing the star Brazilian forward.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
