Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin was one of the players who was very impressive during the Madrid derby that just took place. The fact that he made four stops, three of which came from within the box, was a significant factor in Real Madrid’s ability to keep their advantage until the 93rd minute.
It is impossible to look at his performance as anything other than the most recent development in his continually successful season, which has resulted in his being the team’s first-choice goalkeeper.
Despite the fact that the conflict between him and Kepa Arrizabalaga has been going on for a number of months now, it would seem that the Ukrainian star has emerged victorious.
Emerging from the shadows
In his most recent report, which was published by The Athletic, Mario Cortegana said that the coaches at Real Madrid believe Lunin is making progress, despite the fact that he has had some recent setbacks.
According to their point of view, the most significant change is that the players now have a sense of being “liberated” from the pressure of becoming Thibaut Courtois’ successor.
This season, in contrast to the previous one, in which his opportunities occurred intermittently and without any regularity, he has seen a good amount of continuity. Furthermore, the fact that the Belgian’s comeback is not right around the horizon has provided him with the opportunity to develop more quickly while under less pressure.
Due to the fact that the management believes he is more reliable than Kepa in the air and that he is the more well-rounded of the two, they have decided to make him the starting goalkeeper for the remainder of the remaining season.
In the years 2024 and 2025
Taking into consideration the forthcoming summer transfer window, Real Madrid has made the decision not to extend Kepa’s loan at the club. Due to the fact that Los Blancos consider him to be far from his greatest ability, the Spaniard will be returning to Chelsea.
Lunin, on the other hand, has a number of viable choices to perform the role of Courtois’ backup for the next season, which will result in him receiving more attention in the months to ahead.
The issue of whether he would like to remain in the shadows of the Belgian or to depart and establish a reputation for himself is one that will be discussed at a later time.