Kepa poised for last Real Madrid minutes
Kepa Arrizabalaga may have faced a struggle for minutes in the second half of the 2023-24 season, but one cannot undermine his importance in the team.
Arriving at a tense moment after Thibaut Courtois’ ACL injury, the shot-stopper performed at a very high level between the sticks and was even the manager’s first choice for a long time.
Andriy Lunin’s unexpected ascendency, however, forced him to transfer the throne to the Ukrainian star, and in the process, closed the curtains on his future at the club.
According to reports from AS, Carlo Ancelotti plans to give Kepa a few minutes in the team’s match against Real Betis this weekend as a chance to say goodbye to the fans.
The game at Santiago Bernabeu will be an emotional affair, especially given that it will go down as Toni Kroos’ final game at the venue.
Kepa’s departure may thus go under the radar, but he will have a chance to say his farewell.
The 29-year-old has started 13 games for Los Blancos in La Liga this season, keeping a stunning seven clean sheets in the process. Further, he averages 2.2 saves per game and a 76% save percentage.
Ancelotti dream of Courtois starting the UEFA Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.
After all, one remembers how the Belgian star single-handedly kept Liverpool at bay in the team’s last UCL final.
After resting against Villarreal, the veteran is thus expected to start against Real Betis so as to stay in rhythm and prepare for the biggest game of the season.
All signs, however, point to a substitution in the second half which will enable Kepa to say goodbye to the club he has served faithfully for a year.