Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois appeared in press statements after the 1-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao in the 32nd round of La Liga, at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

The Belgian goalkeeper said: "It was a difficult match. After playing on Thursday in the Europa League, Athletic Bilbao defended well. They didn't press hard, and there weren't enough spaces. In the first half, we struggled to find dangerous chances, but in the second half, we started very well. We attacked strongly and created a lot of danger. It seemed that the goal would not be scored until Valverde scored another wonderful goal, he is brilliant at that."

He added: "This victory was extremely important; we want to continue fighting. Barcelona won yesterday, and it was our turn to win. The positive aspect was creating chances in the second half and keeping a clean sheet. They didn't have many chances, only one for them, both the attacking and defensive sides were excellent in the second half."

Regarding Valverde's goal: "He has an amazing and extraordinary shot. Yesterday during training, he kicked a ball towards me that looked like it would go far, and suddenly it curved sharply, so I asked him: How do you shoot like that? It’s a quick and powerful shot. In training, he shoots like this weekly. It’s a strength we have. We have always advised him to shoot for years because he has great shots. And that’s exactly what he did."

He concluded: "We will approach the upcoming matches with confidence. The Getafe match away is always difficult for us. It’s a derby match, and we need to win to stay in the competition. Then comes the King's Cup final, and we want to give our fans joy after our European exit. Winning the King's Cup final will be extremely important."