We left Real Madrid disappointed, after a logical defeat on the pitch of its Madrid rival Atlético. A defeat which symbolized everything that has not been working for some time, between an attack populated by stars who lack technical connection, an environment that is too porous and a defense left to its own devices. José Mourinho had 3 weeks of peace with the international break to think about how to restart the machine, while observing the behavior of his players in the selection.
And if he must have been happy with the performances of Bellingham with England or Camavinga with France, he was also able to see that Vinicius Jr had not found his former verve with Brazil, where the compilations of his failures still fed the social networks, and that Kylian Mbappé had the propensity to create debate with each of his decisions, even when injured. Which puts the Special One under pressure even before the first match against Villarreal scheduled for Saturday evening.
A strong calendar
Already, the whistles are expected at the Bernabeu, to sanction the face of the team seen against Atlético. They could also concern Kylian Mbappé, accused by some of disrespecting his club with his Parisian escapades. We will therefore have to know how to cope with this tense atmosphere and offer a much more accomplished game than in recent outings. According to the Spanish press, it would not be impossible for Mourinho to put Mbappé and Vinicius Jr on the bench, if the first has not fully recovered from his knee injury. For the second, it could be purely and simply a sporting choice.
José Mourinho knows that he was chosen to cut to the chase. At 63, he has nothing to lose and has no interest in letting the stars dictate their laws, which cost Xabi Alonso the job for example. He also knows that the upcoming month of October could already be decisive. Reception of Villarreal then Sevilla before the trip to Camp Nou on October 25, all interrupted by two Champions League matches against AS Roma and RB Leipzig. Nothing is simple for a team lacking benchmarks, relegated to 6 points behind the Barcelona leader.
