While Real Madrid supporters and the Spanish media have been highly critical of José Mourinho’s team following the 2-1 victory over Inter Milan, the mood inside the dressing room is very different.
The day after Real Madrid’s Champions League clash with Inter, reactions and analysis from the Madrid-based media have been surprisingly negative. That may seem unusual considering Mourinho’s men defeated one of Europe’s strongest sides, but the nature of the performance has raised plenty of questions.
Real Madrid were dominated for long periods by the Italian side, struggled to control possession and relied heavily on Thibaut Courtois to keep Inter at bay. As a result, the word “worrying” has appeared repeatedly across Spanish newspapers, television shows and radio programmes in the aftermath of the match.
José Mourinho, however, believes the criticism has gone too far.
“You can’t criticise everything. It’s one thing to say we didn’t control the game, but they didn’t control it either,” the Portuguese coach said after the final whistle. “Courtois made a lot of saves, yes, but so did we create chances. How many goals did we miss? A lot.”
The Santiago Bernabéu crowd also showed signs of frustration during the game. Some sections of the stadium whistled the team, while players such as Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé were also targeted by supporters.
Despite winning four of their first five competitive matches of the season, a certain atmosphere of doubt and tension has therefore started to develop around the Spanish capital.
No concern inside the Real Madrid dressing room
Inside the club, however, the situation is completely different.
According to Marca, Real Madrid’s players remain calm and confident about the direction the team is heading in. The squad believes Mourinho’s system is working and points to the large number of chances being created as a major positive.
For the players, there is currently no reason to panic or make drastic tactical changes.
Fede Valverde, Kylian Mbappé and their teammates reportedly believe Real Madrid’s main problem is neither the attacking structure nor the defensive organisation. Instead, they see finishing and decision-making in the final third as the main areas that need improvement.
Mourinho shares that assessment.
The Portuguese coach and his staff have no intention of changing their footballing approach. On the contrary, they are convinced that continuing to play in the same manner will eventually lead to success and trophies.
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The priority will therefore be to improve efficiency in front of goal, sharpen the final pass and make better decisions around the opposition penalty area.
There is also an understanding within the club that the team still needs time to develop stronger automatisms and tactical connections. With several players adapting to Mourinho’s ideas and new partnerships still forming, Real Madrid expect those mechanisms to improve naturally as the season progresses.
For now, there is a clear contrast between the growing concern outside the club and the confidence within Valdebebas.
While supporters and the media are already questioning Real Madrid’s performances, Mourinho and his players remain convinced that they are moving in the right direction.
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