Jose Mourinho has questioned the limited preparation time available to Real Madrid before Sunday’s El Clasico against Barcelona, prompting debate over whether he is highlighting a genuine scheduling issue or preparing the ground for a possible setback.
Mourinho was speaking after Real Madrid beat RB Leipzig 4-1 on Wednesday in their third league-phase match in the UEFA Champions League. The victory maintained the club’s perfect record in the competition.
Real Madrid go into the meeting with Barcelona in strong form after recording three consecutive wins against Roma, Sevilla and RB Leipzig within seven days. They scored four goals in each of those matches.
However, they are third in La Liga with 21 points, six behind Barcelona. Victory at Camp Nou would reduce the gap to three points.
“We lose 24 hours of rest, but we will play the El Clasico,” Mourinho told reporters in comments carried by AS.
Barcelona played Paris Saint-Germain in the French capital on Tuesday, while Real Madrid faced RB Leipzig at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday. The two sides will then meet at Camp Nou on Sunday.
Asked whether Real Madrid’s form gave them confidence before the fixture, Mourinho rejected the idea that the game could be treated like an ordinary league match.
“In the El Clasico there is no question of confidence. It is another match in the league, but it is not like the other matches,” he said.
Mourinho praises Bernardo Silva and Courtois
Mourinho also praised Bernardo Silva, who made his first start for some time.
“Bernardo had not started a match for a long time, but he also deserves to play according to the principle of merit. He played a great match,” said the manager.
He felt Real Madrid had performed well in the first half, although the tempo was lower than he wanted. His main disappointment was the goal conceded by Thibaut Courtois, despite the goalkeeper making two important saves.
“Courtois did not deserve to concede that goal. After the two saves he made, he did not deserve for his team-mates to ruin his night,” Mourinho said.
The manager said he was still learning about Arda Guler and Federico Valverde after 105 days with the squad.
“I still need to get to know them, and the best way to do that is through matches and competitions. They played well, and the right side worked excellently again. We have good solutions,” he added.
Real Madrid now have nine points in the Champions League but remain some way short of the 20-point target Mourinho has discussed in relation to automatic qualification. He warned that the next stage would be difficult, with a trip to Olympiacos in Athens followed only two days later by a game in Valencia.
For now, though, his focus is on La Liga and the meeting with Barcelona.
Vinicius substitution explained
Mourinho said Vinicius Junior’s substitution in the 70th minute, when Diomande came on, was not made specifically with the El Clasico in mind.
“It was not about thinking of the El Clasico, but about what I had on the bench. I knew we had a player with great speed, and when he comes on fresh in the final minutes, he becomes difficult to stop,” he said.
He defended Vinicius’ performance, saying the forward had followed his tactical instructions well, helped close spaces and came close to scoring a superb goal before an excellent save.
“Only Vinicius can explain whether he feels sad, but his coach is happy with what he did,” Mourinho added.
Vinicius will miss the El Clasico because he is suspended.
