Real : Thibaut Courtois’ message after the derby defeat

Real Madrid suffered a painful 2-1 defeat against Atletico Madrid on Sunday evening in a derby that left the Spanish giants with plenty of frustration and regrets.

It was a difficult night for Real Madrid at the Metropolitano. José Mourinho’s side struggled to impose themselves and produced one of their most disappointing performances of the season. Lacking control, intensity and creativity for long spells, Los Blancos were unable to find the level required in such an important derby.

Things became even more complicated when Dean Huijsen was sent off, forcing Real Madrid to finish the match with ten men. The refereeing decisions during the encounter quickly became one of the main talking points after the final whistle.

Real Madrid felt that at least two incidents involving Atletico players could have resulted in red cards, or at the very least deserved a VAR review. Those controversial situations added to the frustration inside the Madrid camp, although the team was also aware that its overall performance had fallen short of expectations.

After the match, none of the Real Madrid players spoke to the media. The club reportedly preferred to keep its squad away from the mixed zone in order to avoid emotional reactions that could potentially lead to disciplinary sanctions.

José Mourinho was therefore the only Real Madrid representative to address the media immediately after the derby. The Portuguese coach appeared extremely frustrated during his press conference and did not hide his anger over several decisions made during the game.

However, Thibaut Courtois eventually broke the silence a few hours later.

The Belgian goalkeeper posted several photographs from the derby on Instagram and accompanied them with a message directed at his teammates and Real Madrid supporters.

📲 Thibaut Courtois on IG. pic.twitter.com/4QHY1WVc0A

— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) September 21, 2026

“What was obvious frustrated us, but what is in our hands is to improve so that we stop dropping points. Hala Madrid,” Courtois wrote.

His message perfectly reflected Real Madrid’s situation after another costly evening in La Liga. Whatever frustration may remain regarding the refereeing, Mourinho and his players know that they must also focus on what they can control: their performances and their consistency.

Dropping more points is becoming increasingly dangerous for Real Madrid. With two defeats already after seven league matches, the Spanish giants have little margin for error if they want to remain firmly in the title race.

The situation is even more concerning because Barcelona have made an impressive start to the campaign and currently sit at the top of the table. Every disappointing result could therefore have major consequences as the season progresses.

Real Madrid now head into the international break with their confidence damaged and several questions to answer.

For Mourinho, the priority will be to restore stability, improve the team’s collective performances and ensure that mistakes like those seen at the Metropolitano are not repeated.

Courtois’ message was clear: Real Madrid cannot change what happened in the derby, but they can control what happens next. After a painful defeat against their city rivals, the response when club football resumes will be crucial.