Real Madrid has found itself with an unexpected and worrying debate at this point in the season. The alternation in goal between Kepa and Lunin decided by Carlo Ancelotti has become a problem and right now the club and the white fans are counting the days that may remain until Thibaut Courtois' recovery, which will not be before Easter, at the end of March.
Although the Italian coach pointed out yesterday Saturday at a press conference that the debate “is external and not internal because there are no immaculate goalkeepers and everyone makes mistakes from time to time,” the truth is that the situation at Real Madrid is one of discomfort. Neither Kepa nor Lunin have managed to give a coup of authority and everything indicates that the alternation has been taking away their self-confidence and with this the security of the defense has been compromised.
There is no doubt that the two goalkeepers came out of the Super Cup and the Cup damaged. In the first, in the semifinal against Atlético, Kepa made a gross mistake that cost the team the third goal. On Thursday in the Lunin Cup Kepa's performance even worsened. He was bad in Atlético's first three goals, particularly in the second, with an improper start. In two games, Atlético has scored seven goals against them. In two games in which, in addition, Madrid played better and dominated the ball for much longer.
The season was already strange in goal from the beginning with Courtois's cruciate broken. As the club did not fully trust Lunin, they quickly signed Kepa from Chelsea, on a one-season loan. Kepa was a starter until his injury with more or less acceptable performances without forgetting Courtois' miraculous saves.
The problem came during the warm-up of the Champions League match against Braga, at the beginning of December. There Kepa was injured and Lunin had to leave. The surprise was that Lunin, a cold guy with a very introverted and rather unsociable character, began to do very well. What should have been a relief for everyone became a mess because it left Ancelotti in a very complicated situation, who opted for the most basic principle: not touching what works.
Kepa suddenly became the goalkeeper of the Cup, but with the accumulation of league, Super Cup and Cup matches, a new dynamic entered into: alternating game by game, which has ended up getting on both of their nerves.
Today it is known that Kepa will play against Almería, but little else. At the club the idea now is not to exercise the Basque's purchase option in the summer and for Lunin to remain as Courtois' second, which does not seem to please the Ukrainian, who has already been on the verge of leaving the club several times. Everything is very much up in the air for now.
