Kylian Mbappe, Thibault Courtois and the anatomy of a wonder goal and save

New York Times

15 hours ago

Ignore all the fluff that occurs in the middle of the pitch for a moment. Real Madrid's winning reputation is built on their clinical efficiency in both boxes.
Never was that more true than against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday afternoon, with Kylian Mbappe and Thibaut Courtois showing how fiercely skilled they are in such crucial moments.
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There was a glimmer of hope for a Dortmund comeback after substitute Maximilian Beier's goal made it 2-1 in the 92nd minute, but Mbappe's expert finish restored Madrid's two-goal lead barely 90 seconds later.
A Dortmund penalty followed, but with just seconds of the quarter-final remaining, Courtois's world-class save was the difference between a Madrid victory and the perils of extra time, as he stretched every sinew in his body to get a hand on Marcel Sabitzer's goal-bound effort.
Two world-class actions in a matter of minutes, both worthy of unpacking further.
So, here is the anatomy of a wonder goal and a wonder save.
Contenders for your favourite goal can come in different shapes and sizes.
For some, a wonder goal might be in the form of a team goal based on a long sequence of passes from back to front. For others, it might be a thunderbolt struck from 40 yards into the top corner.
Can we interest you in an acrobatic volley?
Maybe it was the five kilos that Mbappe had lost after suffering from acute gastroenteritis, but the French international threw his body into the air to connect with Arda Guler's cross after peeling off to the back post.
Before Guler even crosses the ball, Mbappe is keen to alert the attention of his 20-year-old team-mate as he looks up.
The cross does not come at that moment, but Mbappe's next task is to find his half a yard of space to receive the ball.
With Dortmund full-back Yan Couto battling desperately to stop him, Mbappe's aim is to get into the highlighted zone to meet Guler's delivery.
The footwork to shuffle across is not to be underestimated. Mbappe manages to shrug off Couto, adjust his body, and still have the spatial awareness to keep his eye on the cross before acrobatically finishing into the bottom corner from close range.
When the commentary is accompanied by 'Que Golazo', you know you have witnessed a special goal. Plenty of repeats of the full video below, please.
QUE GOLAZO!!!!
🎯 MBAPPÉ GOES AIRBORNE! HE'S BACK!
Overhead kick. Back of the net. Instant classic.Superstar stuff from Kylian. 🌟 pic.twitter.com/lx646RuR5w
— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) July 5, 2025
A respectful celebration — and subsequent tweet — in tribute to Diogo Jota and Andre Silva followed, with Mbappe's performance as a substitute a keen reminder that he will not be put in the shadow of new kid on the block, Gonzalo Garcia, who has scored four goals in five matches in the United States.
'Good way to show that I feel better now…' was the cheeky Instagram post later shared.
A post shared by Kylian Mbappé (@k.mbappe)
Remarkably, those around the club have commented that Mbappe would have likely started Saturday's game against Dortmund — and their last-16 clash with Juventus — had Carlo Ancelotti still been in the dugout.
Instead, the new culture built by Alonso has shown just how much he is looking for a quality of performances from a fully-fit team.
Not to be outdone in the opposite penalty area, Courtois's dramatic stop in the final throes left every fan breathless with the referee blowing his whistle just seconds later.
In many ways, it was unsurprising given the world-class saves he has made in his career, but the 33-year-old got the strongest of palms to Sabitzer's effort towards the right corner of his goal.
As Sabitzer chests the ball from the cross, Courtois is well positioned — with arguably a little more of the right side of his goal showing at the moment Dortmund's midfield gets it under control.
Note that Courtois's feet are evenly planted at point of contact from Sabitzer, able to spring in either direction in response to the direction of the shot.
As Sabitzer fires the shot low to Courtois's right, not only does he get a strong hand on the first save, but reacts quickly to smother the ball before it runs clear — the sort of exercise goalkeepers spend hours on every week at the training ground.
Cynics might argue that the ball was not heading perfectly into the corner of the goal, but the distance, speed, and time to react all come into play here — not to mention it was the last action of a game to help your team qualify to the next round.
😱 Dortmund were inches away from equalizing at the death…
What a stop by Courtois.
Press replay 50,000 times!!!!! pic.twitter.com/ADqGRGUcnu
— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) July 5, 2025
'I saw that Sabitzer was coming and that he was going to shoot,' Courtois told reporters after the game. 'I didn't want extra time and I threw myself with all my heart to stop him.
'A bit like (the save) to (Sadio) Mane in the Champions League final (in 2022) — but that's what I'm here for. We had a clean sheet almost guaranteed and then came the 2-1, then the penalty, which we had thought he (Guirassy) would shoot hard to the middle or to the right, and of course he shot it very well.
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'I had to be there, the team needed me. I gave my all to save it.'
With a contract that currently runs until 2026, Courtois is expected to sign a one or two-year extension this summer, which is of particular note considering Madrid's typical policy to limit renewals of over-30s to a year-to-year basis.
Courtois's performances have come under scrutiny in recent months after a high-profile mistake led to Ferran Torres's equaliser for Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final — a game Madrid went on to lose.
Knowing how hard he works to be at the highest level, Madrid have been pleased with how he has overcome recent adversity. Given his tall stature, the Belgian international needs a little more time to build his form, with minor niggles and injuries preventing him from gaining the rhythm that he needs.
But having overcome a recent injury that prevented him from playing during the June international break, Courtois arrived in the U.S. at full strength — which has been clear for all to see with his displays.
Jude Bellingham trotted over in his flip-flops in astonishment to congratulate Courtois before the two embraced, but no one was more pleased to see his goalkeeper come to the rescue than Alonso, who was asked what was going through his mind as Sabitzer's effort headed towards goal.
'Well, I thought we are so lucky that we have Thibaut in goal,' Alonso said. 'He is one of those keepers who makes you win games, and today he has been so decisive. He's a great influence, so we can be thrilled that we can have Thiabaut in goal for us.'
Dortmund manager, Nico Kovac was magnanimous in defeat and, ironically, could only hold his hands up when assessing the quality that Courtois brings to Madrid.
'It is a big save, that's the reason why he is the best goalkeeper in the world,' Kovac said after the game. 'You must be there when the team needs you, and this was a big, big save. It was a deserved win for Real Madrid. If we had scored, it would have been a little bit unfair on the overall game.'
For some actions, you do have to simply watch and admire.
Madrid were decisive, putting on a clinic in what it means to be cold-eyed when the pressure is on.
(Top photos: Getty Images)