Courtois thrilled with Real Madrid's win against Stuttgart: A challenging first 25 minutes

He later commented: “Stuttgart is an attacking-minded team that plays well, but they also tend to leave gaps in their defense. They caused us some troubles in the first 25 minutes, but we managed to regroup and eventually scored a goal. Although we missed out on some opportunities with counter-attacks and fast transitions, we responded effectively to their goal and ultimately secured the victory.”

“They pressed well. Sometimes we came out okay and other times we made things difficult for ourselves because we couldn't see the free man. It's something we have to work on. It's very important to start with a win in this new Champions League format.

“There was a lot of space at the back and that's how the first goal came. That's where the game was going and we didn't make the most of it.”

Courtois also gave his shirt away to one young fan after the final whistle.

He added, “There was a boy with a goalkeeper's shirt and a nice banner. There aren't many who come with a goalkeeper's shirt in the stadium and I hope that by giving him this shirt he can fulfil his dreams. You never know if he might make it (to play in) this goal.”