Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has criticised his team-mates for committing "unnecessary fouls" that led to Arsenal's victory in their Champions League clash - including Jude Bellingham.
The Belgian shot-stopper pointed to two free-kicks converted by Declan Rice as pivotal moments in the match.
One of those fouls was committed by England international Jude Bellingham, who drew criticism for his performance on what proved to be a difficult night for the Spanish giants.
Arsenal secured a commanding win with Rice scoring twice from dead-ball situations before Mikel Merino added a third late on.
Jude Bellingham was indirectly criticised by Thibaut Courtois
Reuters
The result leaves Real Madrid facing an uphill battle ahead of next week's second leg at the Bernabeu.
Rice's first goal came after David Alaba fouled Bukayo Saka, whilst his second followed a foul by Bellingham on the same Arsenal player.
Courtois was beaten both times and expressed his frustration in a post-match interview with Movistar.
"Declan Rice scored two great goals. They're two unnecessary fouls. Maybe they shouldn't be committed," said the Belgian goalkeeper.
"They (Arsenal) press well. They play between the lines. In the first half, we knew how to counter-attack. We lost control. There was no calm with the ball. I wouldn't say it was panic, but it was nervousness."
Both Bellingham and Alaba faced criticism for their performances, with Bellingham losing the most duels (10) of any player in the match.
Courtois did acknowledge his own role in the first goal conceded by Madrid.
"I thought I had set up the wall well. I even added one more man. Maybe I could have added another," the 32-year-old explained.
"But I didn't expect so much curve. If we score two quick goals at the Bernabeu, the third can come by itself."
Declan Rice scored two beautiful free-kicks against Real Madrid
Reuters
The goalkeeper emphasised the importance of eliminating mistakes in the return fixture.
"We have to learn. We can't allow more mistakes. Every detail counts," he added.
Despite the setback, Courtois remained hopeful that Madrid could turn the tie around at home.
Bellingham echoed his team-mate's sentiments about the disappointing performance.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
Declan Rice hit TWO worldie free-kicks vs Real Madrid 🤯
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 8, 2025
So nice he did it twice ✌️ pic.twitter.com/zg5CzlQQNh
"We were nowhere near it," Bellingham told Amazon Prime. "That's the fact and Arsenal were really good."
The England midfielder acknowledged the quality of Rice's goals but admitted Arsenal could have scored more.
Despite the defeat, Bellingham remained optimistic about the second leg in Madrid.
"There is a second leg and that's what we're holding on to. We need something really special, something crazy really but one place where crazy things happen is our house."
He added: "We're still alive, we've got 90 minutes of football and anything can happen at the Bernabeu."
