Real Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui calls the rivalry between goalkeepers Keylor Navas and Thibaut Courtois ‘magnificent’ for the club.
Courtois ended Madrid’s long-running pursuit of a goalkeeper, but Navas has since warned that he had ‘the same desire to leave as to die’, while catching the eye during Los Blancos’ 3-1 win against Milan on Saturday.
“My Super Cup XI? I don’t know it yet, but if I knew it I still wouldn’t tell you,” Lopetegui said after the game.
“It’s always special to be sitting in the dugout at the Bernabeu. There’s always excitement before a game but more so here.
“Bale? I’m not going to talk about previous seasons. The one I’ve met is happy and committed. His position on the field may vary, but he’s training very well.
“Benzema? We’re delighted with him. He’s trained very well and in optimal shape. Surely he’ll help us a lot in addition to scoring goals.
“Milan played very well, they had several chances so adjustments have to be made. Of course we want to concede fewer goals and that’s an important aspect, no doubt.
“We’re happy with everyone. Madrid always look at their cantera. Finalising our squad is something else, but we’ll be making decisions as the month progresses. There’s a lot of preseason left.
“We have to be very compact, but I think the team are doing that well at times. We have to work on some things, but the same goes for everyone else at this point.
“Keylor and Courtois? We have huge competition for places, and that’s good for the team.
“There’ll always be a problem, regardless of what decision we make, because there will always be a goalkeeper who doesn’t play, but we don’t see it as a problem, rather as two magnificent solutions.”
