Thibaut Courtois or Andriy Lunin?: Carlo Ancelotti Discloses His No.1 Goalkeeper for UCL Final

• Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed which of his two goalkeepers, Thibaut Courtois and Andriy Lunin, will be in the post for the Champions League final
• Los Blancos had been embroiled on who should man the most for the final against Borussia Dortmund, but the Italian manager has made his choice
• Lunin reportedly has a contagious flu, which forced the club to isolate him from the rest of the team ahead of Saturday's game at Wembley Stadium

Real Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti, has revealed his preferred goalkeeper, between Thibaut Courtois and Andriy Lunin, for Saturday's UEFA Champions League final.

Ancelotti has been in a dilemma on who to man his post for the grand finale following the timely return of Courtois after his lengthy injury layoff.

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Ancelotti reveals his No.1 goalie for UCL final

But it appears the veteran Italian manager has made his choice, with the Champions League final at Wembley looming.

“Thibaut Courtois will start tomorrow. Lunin will be on the bench,” the 64-year-old said, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano.

Comparing Courtois to Lunin this season

In Courtois's long absence, Lunin has been Madrid's safest pair of hands for most of the season ahead of Chelsea loanee Kepa Arrizabalaga.

According to Transfermarkt, the 25-year-old has made 31 appearances across all competitions, including eight in the UCL.

He has been exceptional as the Belgian's deputy, and his penalty-saving heroics against Manchester City in the quarter-finals were crucial.

While the Ukrainian shot-stopper would have loved to be in between the sticks for the “biggest match of his life", it appears his contagious flu has dealt him a major blow, beIN Sports reports.

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Meanwhile, Courtois is not a newbie when it comes to big occasions, having starred for Ancelotti's side in the 2022 final against Liverpool.

Having received the nod, the former Chelsea and Atletico Madrid goalie would be expected to put up an inch-perfect performance as the Spanish champions chase a record-extending 15th UCL crown.

Casillas explains why Lunin should be Madrid No.1

In a related publication, Sports Brief reported that Iker Casillas had offered his perspective on why Andriy Lunin should be the preferred goalkeeper ahead of Thibaut Courtois for the Champions League final.

As a revered figure at Real Madrid, the Spaniard has drawn from his own experience, lending weight to his recommendation of Lunin for the crucial encounter against Dortmund.