May 24, 2025, was a special day for various (former and current) Real Madrid employees. For Kylian Mbappe, it was the coronation of a memorable rookie campaign, with the Frenchman scoring a brace in a 2-0 win vs. Real Sociedad to finish as the top scorer in LaLiga. For Luka Modric and Lucas Vazquez, it was their last league match as Real Madrid players. For Jesus Vallejo and Chema Andres, it was their last match, period, as Real Madrid players. And for Carlo Ancelotti, it was the last match in his
trophy-filled second spell as manager. For Andriy Lunin, it was the official match that he last played in.
Born in Krasnohrad, Ukraine, Lunin started off at Metalist Kharkiv and Dnipro before making the move to Zorya Luhansk, where he lasted just one year before joining Real Madrid for €8.5 million plus €5 million add-ons. A few months later, Real Madrid signed Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois for £35 million. With Courtois — who had already established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world for Atletico Madrid and Chelsea — locking down a place in the starting XI, Lunin would bounce around on loan from Leganes, Real Valladolid and Real Oviedo before returning to the capital in 2020.
“At 18 years old, he was working so much on his skills and staying after training to improve not just his goalkeeping skills on the line, but his footwork,” stated Yevhen Cheberko, who played with Lunin from 2015 to 2018 at both Dnipro and Zorya. “I think he has a lot of potential and ability, and he’s already proven that with Real Madrid and the national team, and he can still grow. But to be the best goalkeeper in Europe, it maybe takes a little bit more than just skills. Sometimes it’s not depending on just you, but something else like the language or culture.”
Lunin made his first-team debut in January 2021 in a 1–2 extra time loss to Alcoyano, with the Ukrainian being used sparingly on account of Courtois’ consistently world-class displays. And when the Belgian suffered a long-term injury in the summer of 2023, it was emergency loan signing Kepa Arrizabalaga, rather than Lunin, who was entrusted with the starting spot. And yet, Lunin would soon wrestle the starting spot away from Kepa and prove indispensable in their league + Champions League double, tying Courtois’ 2022 UEFA Champions League final record by making nine saves in a single match vs. RB Leipzig. And after making eight saves in the quarterfinal vs. Manchester City, he kept out two penalties to book their spot in the semis.
Despite these stellar displays, Courtois would return to the starting line-up in time for the final vs. Borussia Dortmund. Lunin, for his part, showed no signs of frustration and signed a five-year deal on September 2024, extending his time in Madrid until 2030. Whilst Courtois continued to lock down the first-choice position in goal, Lunin would make 14 appearances in all competitions in 2024/25.
It begs the question: should Xabi Alonso consider giving Lunin more opportunities in goal?
For one, Lunin has already showcased his quality and ice-cold composure in big game situations, helping Los Blancos eke out results by the thinnest of margins. However, he needs to be able to get some semblance of consistent minutes in order to not only develop as a player, but be prepared to step in if Courtois gets injured and suspended.
Lunin has had to sacrifice a lot in order to be at Real Madrid, making just 62 appearances in nearly a decade on the club’s payroll. In contrast, Anatoliy Trubin has played 102 times since joining Benfica in 2023. It’s why Lunin, once regarded as Ukraine’s starting goalkeeper for the present and future, is now second-choice to Trubin. By giving Lunin more minutes, they’ll be able to not only foster a more competitive atmosphere and give much-needed rotation and rest to Courtois, but give Lunin aspirations of starting for Ukraine again.
After sitting on the bench for each of Real’s previous nine matches, could Lunin be set to make a return to the team in their upcoming fixtures against Real Sociedad, Marseille, Espanyol or Levante? It certainly wouldn’t hurt to give it a try.
