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La Liga Andriy Lunin is once again covering for Thibaut Courtois at a key stage of Real Madrid's season (Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images) Real Madrid fans were quick to spot the theme. Back in March 2024, Thibaut Courtois suffered an injury that meant Andriy Lunin would continue to cover for the Belgian goalkeeper. Three months later, Madrid won the Champions League. Lunin played a key role in the run to the final, but had to make way for Courtois when he was back. Advertisement Earlier this month, Courtois suffered an injury. Lunin has stepped in to take his place. The Belgian is expected to be out for between six to eight weeks, but would be back in time if Madrid were to reach the Champions League final… You get the picture. There are other parallels, sort of. Back in 2023-24, Madrid beat Manchester City in the quarter-finals and then defeated Bayern Munich in the last four. This season, Alvaro Arbeloa’s side knocked City out in the last 16, with Bayern up next after the international break. Germany’s champions will make for tough opponents, but few would totally dismiss Madrid’s chances of further success in Europe, given their remarkable feats in recent seasons. However, the situation really says more about one of Madrid’s most intriguing characters: backup goalkeeper Lunin, a quiet 27-year-old Ukrainian who has only made 67 appearances since signing six years ago, but who has a special place in the hearts of many fans. Here, informed by various sources at Madrid and close to the player — all speaking anonymously as they did not have permission to comment — The Athletic explains more about a figure who will have a big influence on the team’s success this season, including his personality, playing style and future. Lunin’s personality stands out as a bit different from Madrid’s other players. Staff at the club describe him as cool, methodical, almost detached — and they don’t see any of that as a drawback. On the contrary, his calm demeanour is seen as a strength. He is considered one of the most professional players in the squad in terms of his attitude towards training. His dedication and discipline stand out, despite his limited playing opportunities. Signed in June 2018 from Ukrainian club Zorya Luhansk for an initial fee of around €8million (£6. 9m; $9. 2m), Lunin didn’t make his Madrid debut until January 2021 in a disastrous 2-1 Copa del Rey defeat at third-tier Alcoyano. Before then came three different loan spells at Leganes, Real Valladolid and Real Oviedo. By that stage, he was established as Madrid’s backup option to Courtois — making 16 further appearances over the next two seasons. In August 2023, when Courtois tore his anterior cruciate ligament in training, Madrid moved to sign Kepa Arrizabalaga on loan for the season from Chelsea, but Lunin beat him to the starting spot. Advertisement After Courtois returned to training in March 2024, he suffered a meniscus tear that required surgery. He ultimately made it back to reclaim his place in time for the Champions League final — but Lunin’s impressive performances on the way earned him a new cult status among fans. It all seemed slightly cruel on the goalkeeper who made two penalty saves in the shootout against City to seal Madrid’s place in the semi-finals. Lunin played 31 matches over that campaign. Last season, he made 14 appearances — including each of Madrid’s games in their run to the Copa del Rey final, when he again made way for Courtois. Sunday’s 3-2 home win over Atletico Madrid in La Liga was his fifth game this term. Things can change quickly in football, but for now Lunin is happy at Madrid, satisfied to play a secondary role at a club where he feels at home, and he and his family are settled in the Spanish capital. From the Madrid perspective, his profile is very much appreciated — a goalkeeper with the mentality and attitude required to step in and cover for the team’s undisputed No 1 when called upon, and who, like Courtois, has also been developed by goalkeeping coach Luis Llopis. At the end of the 2023-24 season, sources with knowledge of the situation said, Lunin’s representatives explored potential moves away from the club, with one year remaining on his Madrid contract, but nothing concrete was discussed. Madrid were not actively looking for him to leave and, in September 2024, the club announced a new contract extension that tied him down until 2030. In the dressing room, he is particularly close with Arda Guler, Federico Valverde, Fran Garcia and Brahim Diaz. Lunin’s low-profile nature means his personality isn’t very well known, but that second half of the 2023–24 season spoke volumes about him, and Madrid’s followers appreciated what they saw. That is reflected in the number of supporters entertaining the symmetry between Courtois’s knee injury back in March 2024 and the thigh injury he suffered this month. Advertisement Lunin’s Champions League penalty-shootout heroics against City back in April 2024 earned him plenty of new admirers among Real Madrid’s fanbase. After Luka Modric had missed his penalty, Lunin stood up to a Bernando Silva chip before diving low to his right and stopping the next one from Mateo Kovacic. Now, Lunin will once again be Madrid’s guardian between the posts during a crucial phase of the season. If Courtois is ruled out for two months, he would miss the Champions League semi-finals, if Madrid were to progress that far, as well as their crucial La Liga trip to Barcelona on May 10. This year’s final takes place on May 30 — by which time Courtois would, like two seasons ago, be back. When Lunin’s profile is discussed online among fans, the fact that he proposed to his now-wife on Real Valladolid’s pitch in 2019, and that he was wearing a tracksuit in photos the couple shared of their wedding, have also been appreciated as further quirky elements of his cult status. Courtois will turn 34 in May. Last summer, he renewed his Madrid contract until 2027 — although this was not officially announced by the club. According to well-placed sources, it was a covert two-year extension because Madrid’s informal policy is to only offer one-year extensions to players over the age of 30. When Courtois returns to full fitness, he will reclaim his starting spot — just like in 2024. There is no chance of Lunin becoming Madrid’s first-choice goalkeeper with the Belgian continuing to perform at the level everyone has become accustomed to. Beyond his contribution on the pitch, Courtois is also one of the leaders in the dressing room. Lunin has played 16 times for his country, with his most recent appearance coming in a 2-1 friendly win over New Zealand last June, but he was not named in the squad for Thursday’s World Cup qualification play-off semi-final against Sweden. Sources at the Ukrainian FA explain that this is because the squad list was finalised two weeks ago — at a time when Lunin had gone three months without playing a minute for Madrid. Advertisement The ongoing war in Ukraine means the national team faces particular logistical challenges that shape the timing of their squad lists. In fact, by the time Lunin started the Madrid derby against Atletico on Sunday, the Ukraine team had already arrived in Spain. The Sweden match is being held at Levante’s stadium in Valencia. In November, Lunin denied “entirely fabricated information” that had “been spread about me refusing to represent the Ukraine national team”. In a statement, he added: “The national team is the dream and the objective of every footballer, and for me it is a pride to represent the colours of my country. There have been many matches where I did not play and remained on the bench, and there were never any issues. ” Sources close to the Ukraine squad say that Lunin’s omission is a technical decision, not a personal one, and stress there are no issues between the player and head coach Serhiy Rebrov, the former Dynamo Kyiv and Tottenham Hotspur striker. Lunin is still very much viewed as “one of ours”, they said, with a sense of pride in his progress. Sources close to the goalkeeper echoed this sentiment. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle