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Real Madrid Keeper Thibaut Courtois Ready To Be A Real Madrid Penalty Taker In UCL Final

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has admitted that he will be ready to take a penalty if called upon in Saturday's Champions League final against Liverpool.

The game in Paris will be Liverpool's third final of the season, after they beat Chelsea to win the EFL Cup and then again to lift the FA Cup.

Both of those Liverpool victories came via a penalty shootout.

If Saturday's final is level after 120 minutes then penalties will be required again, but Courtois does not fear such a situation.

Thibaut Courtois pictured scoring the winning penalty for Chelsea in their shootout victory over PSG in a 2015 pre-season friendly

Thibaut Courtois pictured scoring the winning penalty for Chelsea in their shootout victory over PSG in a 2015 pre-season friendly

He told The Guardian: "I wouldn't be one of the first five [takers], for sure. But maybe after, if you need to shoot, you have to shoot.

"I don't fear it. It is a moment to shine.

"We won one [shootout] against Atletico Madrid in the Super Cup two years ago when I saved one penalty and this season I've stopped three penalties [in all competitions]."

Courtois saved a penalty from Lionel Messi earlier this season.

He has taken and scored a spot-kick in the past too.

In 2015, Courtois scored from 12 yards against Paris Saint-Germain in a pre-season friendly. But two years later, he missed the target for Chelsea in their Community Shield defeat by Arsenal.

Thibaut Courtois pictured missing a penalty for Chelsea against Arsenal in the 2017 Community Shield at Wembley

Courtois pictured missing a penalty for Chelsea against Arsenal in the 2017 Community Shield

At the time, Chelsea manager Antonio Conte defended his decision to let Courtois step up by describing him as "one of our best players to take a penalty".

Courtois added this week: "In pre-season with Chelsea against PSG I scored one and in the Community Shield against Arsenal I missed one.

"Conte put me there because he knew I could shoot it well but standing on the spot in an important moment is different."

If Saturday's final does go to a shootout, Karim Benzema will be Real's top pick.

Benzema converted a spot-kick in each leg of Real's semi-final victory over Manchester City, including one via a confident Panenka finish.

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