Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has claimed that he doesn’t think about playing against Lionel Messi anymore ahead of El Clasico. The Belgian shot-stopper revealed that he doesn’t need to make any special preparations for the Barcelona talisman.
"Do I think of Messi before this Clasico? No, not really." Courtois told Eleven Sports.
"It was the case during my first season with Atlético de Madrid, especially when you play Camp Nou for the first time, with all these stars. At that moment, if you don’t think about it, it is because something is wrong with you."
"But today, I don’t think about it anymore. For me, Messi, he is a player like any other."
"Nightmares because of him? No, never (laughs). We study him as we study a player from Celta Vigo or Levante. There is no difference."
In fact, Messi has put 9 goals past the goalkeeper while nutmegging him on three occasions.