Real Madrid's Keylor Navas Replacement Shines in Victory over Valencia

Kiko Casilla was the standout player of the match. He denied Valencia's clear goal opportunities five times, allowing Real Madrid to continue fighting for the Liga BBVA championship until the final matchday. Casilla's impressive performance led his coach, Zinedine Zidane, to praise him.

"Casilla has been decisive. He has shown that he can replace Keylor with ease. That is good for the team," declared the French coach to the goalkeeper who replaced the Costa Rican today. He also highlighted the team's performance, especially in the first half.

Kiko Casilla had a great performance and didn't crumble under the pressure in an important game for his team. "I'm going home with my morale through the roof," said the goalkeeper as he left the stadium. "I wouldn't have even dreamed of a match like this," he concluded.

The 29-year-old goalkeeper played in Real Madrid's youth academy and it was with Espanyol where he had his best season, earning him a return to his club in 2014. Zidane knows that if Navas leaves, who is currently in demand from several Premier League teams, he has the right replacement in Casilla.

The Whites faced their toughest match of the recent Liga BBVA fixtures. Next week, they will seek a victory in their visit to Deportivo and hope that Barcelona fails to win against Granada, which would allow them to be crowned as the new champions of the Liga BBVA.

Kiko Casila did not respond to a question asked in Catalan after the Real Madrid match.