Thibaut Courtois says Real Madrid are aware of the threat that Arsenal pose from set-pieces heading into Tuesday's Champions League clash.

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• Madrid vulnerable at set-pieces this season
• Arsenal developed reputation as dead-ball specialists
• Courtois hopes Spanish side can deal with threat

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Madrid head into the first leg of the quarter-final tie against the Gunners off the back of a 2-1 loss to Valencia, in which they conceded from a corner for the 10th time so far this season.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While the Spanish side have proven vulnerable when defending dead balls, they come up against an Arsenal side with a penchant for scoring from set-pieces, but goalkeeper Courtois is confident they can deal with the danger.

• WHAT COURTOIS SAID

  "We’ve worked on it. We know how we have to try to defend against them," Courtois told reporters. "The first thing is not to concede too many corners. It’s a matter of concentration, activation – sometimes the quality of the opponent plays a factor too. If the ball arrives perfectly, it’s difficult to defend. But we are ready to do it, we believe that what we have prepared will work out well for us."

  He added: "We have a lot of respect for Arsenal. I have a lot of friends who are Arsenal fans. I know they've been doing great in the Premier League. They're a young team, a strong defence, on the counter and set pieces."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

  Madrid have fallen four points behind Barcelona in La Liga, but Carlo Ancelotti's side are still aiming to win a treble of trophies this term as they approach Tuesday's clash in London.

Tags: Futebol
Category: News