Mourinho demands La Liga title after Real Madrid’s win over Barcelona

Jose Mourinho said Real Madrid must use their 2-1 victory over Barcelona as a step towards winning La Liga rather than treat it as an achievement in itself.

Kylian Mbappe scored the decisive goal in the 87th minute at Spotify Camp Nou as Real Madrid reduced the gap to their Catalan rivals to three points with victory in El Clasico.

Mourinho praised his players for producing what he regarded as the most complete performance of his second spell at the club, particularly given the quality of Barcelona’s squad.

He said Real Madrid handled Barcelona’s pressure effectively and remained composed after the hosts equalised before eventually finding a way to win the match.

“Real Madrid do not play to win at Camp Nou, they play to win the championship,” Mourinho said.

The Portuguese manager also warned that the result would lose much of its value if his side failed to follow it up in their next fixture.

He added that the team needed to continue working and maintain its focus despite the importance of beating Barcelona.

Mourinho criticises VAR

Although Mourinho praised the referee’s overall performance, he criticised the use of the video assistant referee after an incident involving Joao Cancelo and Yan Diomande.

The Real Madrid manager believed the challenge should have resulted in a red card and questioned why VAR did not intervene.

“The referee had a great game, but VAR was asleep in the 60th minute, and there should have been a red card for his challenge on Diomande,” Mourinho said.

Camavinga decision defended

Mourinho also defended his decision to leave Eduardo Camavinga on the bench at the start of the match.

He said the France international remained an important member of the squad, but explained that team selection had to reflect the demands of each individual game.

Camavinga’s introduction in the second half gave Real Madrid greater scope to exploit space and attack on the counter, with that approach contributing to the move that produced the winning goal.

Mourinho also singled out goalkeeper Andriy Lunin for praise after he replaced Thibaut Courtois.

The manager said Lunin took his opportunity calmly and confidently, while he also commended Federico Valverde for continuing despite playing with an injury.

Mourinho concluded by highlighting the strength of the squad and the unity within the dressing room. He said Real Madrid would need every player to be ready as they face a sequence of away matches.