Mourinho after Sevilla's four goals: we do not enjoy the peace of mind of other coaches!

The Portuguese coach talks about Militao's return and Real Madrid's goals in the Champions League

Jose Mourinho hailed his players' performance and concentration after Real Madrid swept Sevilla aside 4-1 on Sunday evening in the ninth round of La Liga. The Portuguese also touched on the return of Brazilian defender Eder Militao, the fixture congestion, and the Spanish club's objectives in the Champions League.

Spanish newspaper "AS" carried Mourinho's post-match comments, in which he put the display down to the collective and individual quality of his squad. He said: "We played well from the start, the players were extremely focused and enthusiastic, and they showed great respect for an opponent we had studied carefully. There was a high level of quality in our collective play, and a high level of individual quality."

He added: "We made three changes to bring different dynamism and energy after the difficult match in Rome. We played very well overall. Sevilla's goal came at a moment nobody expected, then we regained our balance and settled the match."

Militao's comeback from a long injury dominated the next question, and Mourinho called it a major lift for the squad after the months the defender has endured. He said: "I am thinking about this wonderful night, and about Militao's return, which is something that excites us as a team. We have seen him suffer and work hard over the last few months."

Asked about the Brazilian's technical and physical condition, Mourinho said the potential is obvious but the sharpness will take time. He said: "He is an excellent player. He has only trained with the team for three weeks after a long absence. He still has a long way to go, but you can see his potential in training. He is a very important player for the team."

He added: "We have to be patient and give him these small opportunities so that his confidence grows," noting that the Brazilian defender came on in the 85th minute of the match

Three straight wins since the international break have followed, and Mourinho pointed to collective work as the foundation of it all, despite the fixture congestion and the scraps of training time he gets.

He explained: "I think we played a great match today, and in Rome, it was an extremely difficult game, but the team knew how to react. We are one team, and we always work as one team in order to improve. We have only been playing together for a very short time."

He continued: "It is difficult for us to enjoy the peace of mind that other coaches at other clubs have, but we make the most of every minute we have, and tomorrow we will be back in training, because we will be playing against another team that already played yesterday and has a 24-hour advantage," in reference to Wednesday's match against Leipzig in the Champions League.

Ten different Real Madrid players have now scored, and the Portuguese insisted success is not measured by goals alone but by what each man gives the group. He said: "Each one of them contributes in his own way. Courtois is playing at a very high level, and that is Lunin's responsibility too. As I said yesterday, there is no single way of assessing merit. In my case, there are 24 players who deserve it."

Nine points from the first three Champions League matches matter for more than qualification. Mourinho wants a top-eight finish in the league phase to dodge the play-offs. He said: "That would be ideal. There are two objectives in those eight matches: qualification, then reaching the top eight places, which reduces the number of play-off matches you have to play."

He added: "Last season, Real Madrid had to play those matches, and they are not welcome matches. We have taken six points against the two best Italian teams (Inter and Roma)."

Leipzig were the final subject, and Mourinho warned about sides smarting from a hammering, in reference to their 6-1 loss to Bayern Munich yesterday. He said: "Leipzig are a very strong team coming off a heavy defeat to Bayern Munich, and teams that are going through a dip in form are more dangerous."