Jose Mourinho, coach of Real Madrid, has openly acknowledged concerns over his team’s inability to maintain control during matches as they prepare for Sunday’s crucial La Liga derby against Atletico Madrid. The admission comes amid mounting pressure on Los Blancos to keep pace with league leaders.
Despite a promising start to the season, with five wins out of six games, Real Madrid currently sit three points behind the unbeaten champions, Barcelona, with Atletico Madrid positioned third in the standings. The gap reflects the fine margins that have defined Madrid’s campaign so far, as late goals from substitute striker Carlos Espi salvaged victories against Espanyol and Elche, underscoring moments of vulnerability in the squad.
“The problem seems obvious to me. It’s harder to know why, but it’s easy to understand that there are matches that seem over and, in the end, aren’t,” Mourinho explained. He highlighted how the team often creates multiple chances but fails to capitalize, which leads to a loss of control on the pitch. “(There are) matches where we have three, four, five chances to finish them and don’t. After failing to do so, it feels like we go from ease, because it seemed easy, to losing control.”
Defensive Fragility Threatens Madrid’s Ambitions
Looking ahead to the derby clash, Mourinho expressed concern that defensive lapses could prove costly against an experienced and tactically disciplined Atletico Madrid side led by coach Diego Simeone. Known for exploiting opponents’ mistakes, Simeone’s team poses a significant threat if Madrid fail to maintain focus.
“Not just for Sunday’s match, but for every match. I like my team to score goals… but I also want them to be solid defensively,” Mourinho stressed, signaling that defensive improvements are a priority going forward.