Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas has said he is happy with setting a new club record for the most amount of minutes without conceding a goal.
The World Cup winner, who has found himself in and out of the side in the past 12 months, kept another clean sheet in Madrid’s 1-0 win over Espanyol in the second leg of the Copa del Rey quarter-final tie. The 32-year-old has now gone 682 minutes without conceding, beating Pacu Buyo’s record in 1994/95, when he wasn’t breached for 652 minutes.
As well as setting his own personal record, Madrid also kept their eighth consecutive clean sheet, a new record. And they completed a perfect month of January with eight wins out of eight.
Speaking to journalists after the game, Casillas said the defence was doing a fine job. He added that they need to keep working as hard as they are for the rest of the campaign and keep the momentum going.
“I’m happy because if we have set a record it is because we are doing things well. We won the tie without conceding a goal and the team was phenomenal at the back. We are not giving our opponents any chances, and in general the team should be given top marks in defence. The Copa del Rey is important for me because the coach is giving me the opportunity to play in it. Now we have to think about the league and put pressure on those above us,” he stated.
When asked about the semi-final against either Athletic Bilbao or Atletico de Madrid, Casillas responded saying whoover Los Blanco face, it will be a tricky tie.
“I hope to keep the streak going because the good part is coming. Both Athletic Bilbao and Atlético Madrid deserve to be where they are in the table. They play good football and it will be a very good tie. We also have a big match this weekend,” he said.
