Mourinho: worried about Barcelona? Real Madrid is beyond comparison
The Portuguese coach warns Barça: this is a marathon, not a sprint
José Mourinho refuses to lose sleep over Barcelona's flying start to the season. The Real Madrid coach insists the Spanish league is a "long marathon", as he put it.
Barcelona have swept all before them in La Liga. Six rounds in, they boast a perfect record at the summit, having scored 28 goals to sit at least 11 clear of any other side.
Real Madrid, by contrast, have yet to convince their supporters despite banking 15 points to sit second. Now they face one of their sternest tests of the season, hosting neighbours Atlético Madrid tomorrow, Sunday, in the pick of round seven.
Asked at Saturday's pre-derby press conference whether Barcelona's form worried him, Mourinho saw no reason to draw comparisons with his rivals.
The Portuguese, as reported by the newspaper "AS", said: "Historically and culturally, Real Madrid cannot compare itself to anyone, and for this reason I will not compare myself to any team. I talk about ourselves, and I do so without any problem, just as I talk about our problems and what needs to be improved."
He added: "Although it has become more and more difficult to hear anything positive about Real Madrid, we continue our work with humility, and without any problem in being aware of our problems, but we are also aware of the very good things we have in the team."
Mourinho cites the Elche and Betis fixtures
Real Madrid's character in tight moments drew praise from the coach, who pointed to several of this season's matches as evidence.
He said: "In the three matches in which we reached the final minutes needing to score to win or to draw, we finished them with physical and mental strength, and with a fighting spirit and determination."
He explained: "It can be said clearly that this is not normal. It is not normal to go 2-0 up against Elche and then concede the equaliser in the 80th minute, but it is also not normal to be level in the 80th minute, then for the team to change within a few minutes, create one chance and then another and then another, and score and win."
Trailing against Betis was the other example he reached for. "It is also not normal to be trailing against Betis, and to have this heart, then for us to score Asensio's stunning goal and miss the penalty, and yet we still have the strength to do more," he continued.
"The group's strength gives me confidence"
What Mourinho sees in this Real Madrid side goes beyond the players' technical quality. It lies in the strength that emerges when they work as a group.
He said: "This team, alongside the quality it has, has a strength of great significance. It is the strength of the group, and this gives me confidence."
His parting message doubled down on the long game. The title race, he argued, cannot be judged over a sprint. "This is a marathon, not a motorway," he said, backing the Whites to turn things around before the season is out.
