Courtois substituted at half-time as Real Madrid shift into caution mode

courtois was substituted at half-time in Real Madrid’s UEFA Champions League match against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, with Andriy Lunin coming on in goal. The change came despite no notable injury moment in the opening 45 minutes, pointing to a fitness concern emerging during the interval rather than a single obvious incident.

What happened when Courtois left the match at half-time?

Real Madrid went into the break holding a 4–1 aggregate advantage over Manchester City, and the tie context helped frame the decision to act cautiously. The scoreline at the moment of the substitution was 1–1 on the night, with Madrid still firmly ahead in the two-leg matchup.

During the first half, Bernardo Silva was sent off for a deliberate handball, and Vinicius Junior converted the resulting penalty. With both a one-man advantage and a comfortable aggregate position, Madrid were in a position to prioritize player protection once the goalkeeper signaled discomfort.

Courtois had produced four notable saves in the first half, but he felt muscular discomfort and requested the change at the break. The issue was described as an overload affecting the right adductor/abductor area, and the substitution was presented as a precautionary move.

What do we know about the injury situation and the decision to be cautious?

The concern centered on the right adductor muscle group at the top of the thigh, described as an issue that emerged without an on-field incident that clearly showed an injury. The move to replace the starting goalkeeper appeared aimed at avoiding escalation of a minor problem.

The precautionary nature of the substitution was underlined by the timing: the change came with five days remaining before a derby match against Atlético Madrid in LaLiga. In that context, the decision to remove courtois at half-time signaled an effort to manage risk rather than test a potential muscle problem deep into the second half.

What happened after Lunin came on — and what it could mean next?

Lunin entered at half-time and quickly became involved. Four minutes into the second half, he produced a major save from Erling Haaland to keep the match level at 1–1 and preserve Madrid’s overall control of the tie at 4–1 on aggregate.

The appearance also carried club-context significance. It was Lunin’s first Real Madrid appearance since mid-January, and he has been tipped to leave at the end of the season. His outings in 2025/26 have not been successive, and his season usage has been limited. Separately, it was noted that he had minutes in his fourth match of the season, having previously played as a starter against Olympiacos in the Champions League and Talavera and Albacete in the Copa del Rey.

For Real Madrid, the half-time substitution functioned as a risk-management decision under favorable conditions in the tie. For courtois, the immediate focus is the right adductor issue and whether the precaution was sufficient to avoid a more serious setback. For Lunin, the early second-half save offered an immediate reminder of his impact when called upon at a high-leverage moment.