Mourinho questions Real Madrid’s 24-hour disadvantage before El Clasico

Jose Mourinho has questioned Real Madrid’s preparations for Sunday’s El Clasico against Barcelona, saying his side will have 24 fewer hours to recover after their Champions League victory over RB Leipzig.

The Portuguese manager was speaking after Real Madrid beat RB Leipzig 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday in the third round of the league phase. The result maintained their perfect record in the competition.

“We lose 24 hours of rest, but we will play El Clasico,” Mourinho told reporters, in comments carried by AS.

Barcelona played Paris Saint-Germain in the French capital on Tuesday, while Real Madrid’s European fixture took place a day later. The two Spanish rivals will meet at Camp Nou on Sunday.

Mourinho’s remarks have raised questions about whether he was highlighting a genuine scheduling problem or preparing the ground for any potential setback against his side’s traditional rivals.

Real Madrid head into the match in strong form, having recorded three victories in seven days against Roma, Sevilla and RB Leipzig. They scored four goals in each of those matches.

However, they are third in La Liga on 21 points, six behind leaders Barcelona. A victory in El Clasico would reduce that gap to three points.

Asked about Real Madrid’s confidence, Mourinho said the fixture should not be viewed as an ordinary league match.

“In El Clasico there is no question of confidence. It is another league match, but it is not like the others,” he said.

Mourinho praises Silva and Courtois

Bernardo Silva made his first start for a considerable period against RB Leipzig, and Mourinho said the midfielder had earned the opportunity on merit.

“Bernardo had not started a match for a long time, but he also deserved to play according to the principle of merit. He had a great game,” said Mourinho.

The manager felt Real Madrid had performed well in the first half, although he believed the pace was below the required level. His main frustration was the goal conceded by Thibaut Courtois, despite the goalkeeper making two important saves.

“Courtois did not deserve to concede that goal. After the two saves he made, he did not deserve for his team-mates to spoil his night,” Mourinho said.

Mourinho also discussed the roles of Arda Guler and Federico Valverde, admitting that his 105 days with the team had not been enough for him to fully understand all of his players’ abilities.

“I still need to get to know them, and the best way to do that is through matches and competitions. They played well, and the right side worked excellently again. We have good solutions,” he said.

Real Madrid’s third Champions League win leaves them with nine points, but Mourinho said they remain some way short of the 20-point target he had mentioned for direct qualification. He warned that the next stage would be difficult, with Olympiacos in Athens followed only two days later by a trip to Valencia.

Why was Vinicius substituted?

Mourinho said Vinicius Junior’s 70th-minute replacement by Diomande was not made with El Clasico in mind. Instead, he wanted to use the pace available on his substitutes’ bench.

“It was not about thinking of El Clasico, but about what I had on the bench. I knew we had a player with great speed, and when he comes on fresh in the final minutes, he is difficult to stop,” he said.

The manager defended Vinicius’ display, saying he had followed his tactical instructions, helped close down spaces and came close to scoring a superb goal before an excellent save.

“Only Vinicius can explain whether he feels sad, but his manager is happy with what he did,” Mourinho added.

Vinicius will miss Sunday’s El Clasico through suspension.