Real Madrid management see 24-year-old star’s game improving despite some missteps

Andriy Lunin was one of Real Madrid’s standout players in the recently concluded Madrid derby.

With four saves including three from inside the box, he was highly influential in maintaining Real Madrid’s lead until the 93rd minute.

His performance can only be seen as the latest growth in his increasingly positive season that has seen him become the team’s first-choice goalkeeper.

The dilemma between him and Kepa Arrizabalaga was ongoing for several months, but it appears now that the Ukrainian star has come out on top.

In his most recent update via The Athletic, Mario Cortegana reveals that the Real Madrid coaches see Lunin to be improving despite some recent failures.

The biggest difference, in their opinion, is that the players now feel ‘liberated’ from the pressure of being Thibaut Courtois’ replacement.

Unlike last season where his chances appeared sporadically with no continuity, he has enjoyed reasonable continuity this season. Moreover, the fact that the Belgian’s return is not just around the corner has only helped him grow faster with less pressure.

The management sees him to be more solid than Kepa in the air and the more well-rounded of the two, making him the first-choice goalkeeper for the rest of the season.

Looking ahead to the upcoming summer transfer window, Real Madrid have decided against renewing Kepa’s loan at the club. The Spaniard will return to Chelsea, for Los Blancos see him to be far from his best.

Lunin, meanwhile, has good options to serve as Courtois’ backup for next season and will thus give him more prominence in the months to come.

Whether he wishes to stay in the Belgian’s shadows or to leave and make a name of his own is a question for another day.