Thibaut Courtois is singled out and Xabi Alonso has to look for a solution

The defeat in the classic against Atlético de Madrid has left the white locker room shaken.

The blow was hard and the aftermath of what happened at the Metropolitano is still being felt, but Xabi Alonso doesn't want the setback to affect the squad's momentum.

The Basque coach made it clear in the press conference before the match against Kairat Almaty that the focus was on the Champions League. He knows that's where Real Madrid could regain confidence.

Even so, Xabi Alonso acknowledged that there's plenty of room for improvement and that the building process isn't simple.

"We want to keep improving and defining how we want to be both in terms of football and team personality," he stated.

The coach accepts that there will be setbacks along the way, but he keeps his positive message and trusts his players to correct mistakes as soon as possible.

Courtois in the spotlight

The main target after the classic was Thibaut Courtois, something unthinkable just a few seasons ago.

The Belgian goalkeeper, considered for years the best in the world, is going through one of his most delicate moments since he started wearing the white jersey.

Opta's analysis has revealed worrying numbers that confirm his level is far from the desired one.

Thibaut Courtois ranks 264th out of 269 in Spain and 119th out of 124 in the five major leagues in the difference between expected goals against and goals conceded.

He has conceded eight goals at the start of this season, when the metrics expected just 5.3. Five of them came in the classic, but the figure remains alarming.

His worst numbers as a madridista

The Belgian goalkeeper's save percentage is 70%. This figure is even lower than what he recorded in his first season at Real Madrid, when he barely reached 71.2%.

These numbers confirm that Courtois is experiencing his worst start since he arrived at Bernabéu and the concern is evident.

His serious injury last year is still taking a toll on him in areas such as coming off his line and playing outside the box.

With his height of 6 ft. 7 in. (2 meters), the coaching staff believe he needs to show himself as more dominant and confident.

It's not enough to defend the six-yard box; he has to impose his physique to give security to the back line. Courtois knows this and is working intensely on these aspects to turn the situation around.

A challenge for the immediate future

At Valdebebas, they know that questioning Courtois is never easy, but the data speak for themselves.

The fans are starting to scrutinize his performances and Xabi Alonso needs to get the best version of his goalkeeper back as soon as possible. Real Madrid can't afford weaknesses in goal if they want to compete at the highest level.

The Belgian faces a huge challenge: to become the leader between the posts again, as he was on great European nights.

The Champions League will be his best stage to show that doubts are temporary and that he's still Real Madrid's insurance policy.