Real Madrid manager, Jose Mourinho, has explained how his tactical instructions helped his side secure a 2-1 victory over Barcelona in Sunday’s El Clásico at Camp Nou, with Kylian Mbappe scoring twice, including a late winner.
The victory ended Real Madrid’s six-match winless run against their fierce rivals, with the Portuguese tactician earning praise for his approach to the encounter.
His team had come under pressure following inconsistent performances in La Liga this season, but the win provided a significant boost to their title ambitions.
Mourinho revealed that he instructed French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga to exploit spaces behind Barcelona’s high defensive line.
The midfielder, introduced in the 80th minute, made a driving run through the middle before setting up Mbappe’s decisive goal in the 87th minute.
“I told Camavinga, go and attack the space,” Mourinho explained.
“It is difficult for any attacker to attack space against Barcelona; the only solution is to do it with your midfielders.
“When your attackers do it, Barca’s defense is prepared and coached for that, and your forwards either end up caught offside or the pass gets intercepted by Joan Garcia. The solution is to use midfielders like Camavinga and Bellingham to break that line, and it worked.”
Despite the defeat, Barcelona remain three points ahead of Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga table after 10 matches.
Mourinho, however, warned his players against becoming complacent, insisting that their ambition must extend beyond winning at Camp Nou.
“In my view, Real Madrid do not play just to win at Camp Nou. Real Madrid play to win La Liga,” he stated. “This must be the mentality. We need to continue like this and not get carried away after this win.”
The Real Madrid manager also praised midfielder Federico Valverde for his determination, disclosing that the Uruguayan continued playing despite suffering an injury during the match.
“Let me speak about Fede Valverde. He continued playing despite being injured for over 40 minutes,” Mourinho said. “He refused to come off, fought through the pain, and gave everything he had for the team.”
Mourinho also singled out goalkeeper Andriy Lunin for his performance, crediting the Ukrainian with making important saves that kept Real Madrid in the contest during periods of sustained pressure from Barcelona.
“Lunin was unbelievable, yet no one asked me about him… I’m sure you would have if we had lost,” Mourinho quipped, criticising the tendency to overlook the goalkeeper’s contributions when the team wins.
The Portuguese manager also questioned the use of the Video Assistant Referee system, arguing that Barcelona defender Joao Cancelo should have been sent off for a challenge on Yan Diomande around the hour mark.
“The ref was great, but the VAR was sleeping in the 60th minute. There was a clear red card for Cancelo’s foul on Diomande,” he stressed.
