Mourinho gives Real Madrid blueprint to counter Flek’s Barcelona

Real Madrid’s latest victory over Barcelona suggests Hans-Dieter Flick’s tactics are no longer proving as difficult to contain, with Jose Mourinho’s side showing clear progress in dealing with the German coach’s high defensive line and possession-based approach.

Real Madrid won 2-1 in yesterday’s Clasico at Camp Nou, a result which prompted Mundo Deportivo to compare Flick’s meetings with Real Madrid under Mourinho, Xabi Alonso and Carlo Ancelotti.

The Spanish newspaper said the figures pointed to a significant improvement in Real Madrid’s ability to cope with Barcelona from one match to the next.

“Real Madrid no longer falls into the offside trap used by Hans-Dieter Flick with the same ease,” Mundo Deportivo reported. “Mourinho also managed to reduce Barcelona’s possession, indicators which reflect the development of the team from one meeting to another, compared with the periods under Carlo Ancelotti and Xabi Alonso.”

Flick has lost only two of his eight Clasicos against Real Madrid in all competitions. One defeat came against Alonso’s side at Santiago Bernabeu exactly a year ago, when Real Madrid won 2-1. The other was yesterday’s loss against Mourinho’s team.

The comparison highlights the way Real Madrid have adjusted to Barcelona’s offside strategy. In the match on 26 October 2024, Ancelotti’s players were caught offside 12 times during a 4-0 defeat by Barcelona. That figure fell to one in the Spanish Super Cup final two months later, which Barcelona won.

In the only Clasico against Alonso, Real Madrid were flagged offside five times. That number dropped to three in the latest meeting under Mourinho.

The figures indicate that Real Madrid have learned to adapt to Barcelona’s defensive system, particularly the advanced line which has been a central feature of Flick’s approach.

Mourinho’s side also limited Barcelona’s control of the ball, despite the Portuguese manager’s style being theoretically more defensive than Alonso’s. Real Madrid’s share of possession rose from 31.5% against Barcelona a year ago to 37.8% in yesterday’s Clasico.

Their passing total increased at the same time, from 274 passes to 380, after Bernardo Silva and Arda Guler were introduced.

Mundo Deportivo said the statistics presented Barcelona with a clear challenge as its opponents became better at finding answers to Flick’s methods.

“These figures place Barcelona before an obvious test,” the newspaper concluded. “As their opponents develop and find solutions to their style, Flick’s team must improve its own performance, so that its usual strengths do not become a formula that Real Madrid can deal with easily.”