Jose Mourinho talks Silva, Lunin, Camavinga, Cucurella after Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid
Last night was one to remember for Real Madrid fans as they saw their team visit the Spotify Camp Nou and get a 1-2 win over their arch-rivals FC Barcelona. As was expected, it turned out to be a hard-fought game in which both the teams tried their best to get a result in their favor, but ultimately, the Merengues’ quality shone through and they come back to the Spanish capital reducing the deficit at the top of the La Liga table to three points.
As MARCA has reported, Jose Mourinho addressed the press after this enthralling win. Analyzing the match, the Portuguese coach praised his team for giving their all on the pitch:
“It’s been a great match, a high-level game. Two teams that play to win, and in our case, the lads put in a great performance. They were organised and courageous against an opponent who presses a lot. We had chances to score a second goal, including that two-against-one situation with Jude and Kylian.
Barça reacted strongly in the second half, but we remained calm and didn’t lose our composure. It was a great victory for the lads. The referee had a great game. VAR was asleep in the 60th minute, with a decision that had a major impact on João’s clear red-card offence for the foul on Diomande.”
The Real Madrid coach highlighted how important this win could be for the league title, and praised several players for their performances in this game:
“It’s a match that could leave us three, six or nine points clear. If you come away nine points ahead, that’s a significant gap. If it’s six, things are more balanced. If it’s three, the situation is different. You can win through luck or by spending much of the game defending, but we won comfortably and fully deserved it.
I’ve only been here a short time with Bernardo, although I know him well. That’s one thing; seeing how he can fit into the team is another. I’ll never tell you, ‘This is my core team’, or talk about indispensable players. We have a complete squad. They work hard and are ready to win.
You’ve asked me two questions, and neither has been about Lunin. If Lunin makes mistakes, I’m sure the second question will be about him. We have the best goalkeeper in the world, but none of the players complained before the match because he wasn’t playing. The players are united.
We’ve won five matches in a row, and we have another game on Sunday, in a unique run of three consecutive away matches. Valverde played injured for more than 40 minutes. He wanted to keep going within his limits.”
While praising Eduardo Camavinga, Mourinho explained how his team got over the offside trap set by Flick’s team:
“Eduardo, like everyone else, is a starting-calibre player. They train for that, and then it’s the manager who decides. Some managers look at the bench and have no solutions. Flick brought on De Jong, who is a very powerful engine. Bernardo worked hard against Pedri, and the match required us to bring on fresh legs to keep going and launch counter-attacks.
Against Barcelona, it’s often difficult to attack the space because you frequently get caught offside. When the runs come from the second line, as Jude and Camavinga did, it’s harder for them to deal with.”
Although his team won by the barest of margins, the Portuguese coach was happy with the result:
“I think this was our toughest match against an opponent who had won every league game up to this point. We’ve beaten several teams by four goals, but this was Barça, and our players put in a great performance.”
Mourinho highlighted how his team has improved over the last few weeks:
“We’ve improved a lot in recent matches. I don’t want to go back to the Atlético game, but the Betis match was the one in which we missed the most chances. We didn’t play terribly. The group is strong internally, with a growing sense of empathy, and the players support one another. It’s a great group to work with. A great group is also one that sticks together when things get difficult.
When we return to work, I won’t let everyone walk around with their heads in the clouds. If we lose at El Sardinero, today’s victory will mean nothing. Madrid play to win titles.”
The Real Madrid coach also highlighted Marc Cucurella’s incredible performance in this match:
“We have two high-level left-backs, which allows me to manage their workload a little. Carreras played the previous match, allowing Cucu to be fresh for this one. He did a great job. I always say that I only realise how good players are when I see them in front of me. Watching them on television, I miss certain things. When they’re ten metres away, I can appreciate their quality.
He’s very good (Lamine), extremely difficult to handle and, as well as being talented, he’s clever. He tried everything. This was the toughest match Cucu has faced against a player who is really good.”
The Portuguese coach was willing to give all the credit for this win to the players:
“We won because of the players. That’s the life of a manager, and it’s why so many lose their jobs. I’m very happy for them, for all of them. I’m also happy for Asencio, who wanted to come today and has been talking to the players.”
Finally, the Real Madrid coach highlighted his midfield option:
“I’ve learned that I have an extraordinary group, with the quality and mentality to play. In midfield, too, having a combination of different talents gives us more than having two players with similar characteristics.
That’s why I wouldn’t play Bernardo alongside Güler, except perhaps in desperate situations. The same goes for Camavinga and Tchouaméni today; that combination is for specific circumstances. This blend of talents gives us balance when defending and quality when building attacks.”
Although he was gracious enough to give all the credit to his players, there is no doubt Jose Mourinho himself deserves a lot of credit for this memorable win. He clearly got the better of a coach as astute as Hansi Flick in this match, while his work in getting the best out of almost all the Real Madrid players and making the team work as a united group also deserve a lot of commendation.
