Mourinho revels in Real Madrid’s “victory for soul” after opening day La Liga win | OneFootball

Mourinho is off to a winning start in La Liga [Getty Images]

Espanyol 1-2 Real Madrid 

José Mourinho was full of praise for his Real Madrid side after a late winner from substitute Carlos Espí saw the Portuguese boss get off to a winning start to the season in La Liga.

Espanyol made life difficult for Los Merengues on Mourinho’s return to Spanish football, thirteen years after he departed the club in 2013. Mourinho’s side, which included debutant Bernardo Silva, took a first-half lead through Jude Bellingham, but Alex Calatrava’s equaliser saw the teams go into the break on level terms.

The match appeared to be heading for a share of the points until young striker Espí, who arrived from Levante during the close-season, scored from close range to seal a dream league debut for the club. Mourinho had thrown the 21-year-old on during a triple-change ten minutes from time, which included Bernardo being replaced on 80 minutes, and was repaid when Espí struck in the final minute of normal time.

“I think we deserved to win, but Espanyol didn’t deserve to lose,” Mourinho said after the final whistle. “We played, especially in the second half, with great control and pressure. We took many risks, and I think we deserved to win. But a team like Espanyol, defending as they did, counterattacking dangerously, with players pushing themselves to the limit and being very well-organised, it’s tough for them to go home with nothing. But I repeat, we deserved the victory.

“Some players are still not at their best, and when it comes to pressing the way I like, we’re still missing minutes and kilometres, both in training and in matches. That’s why I value this victory so much because it was a victory with soul and also from the bench. I always say: a frustrated bench doesn’t help at all. A bench with team spirit, when you have the quality that we have, can help you win. It was a tough match and very important points for us.

“I’ve said from day one that not even in friendlies can Madrid afford not to fight to win. We are going to lose matches—I hope not many—but Madrid has to play four competitions seriously, and we can’t do it with ten, eleven, twelve, or fifteen players. We need this squad. That’s what I expect from them: professionalism and a willingness to work for the team. It has to come from them.”

On Vinícius Júnior, Bellingham, Mbappe, Bernardo 

“I run the risk of you going back months and pulling out my words when I was an opponent of Vini Jr. Now Vini Jr. is mine. Vini Jr. is not a saint, but what they do to him is too much. It starts from the first minute. I think it’s something that has a pattern, something that repeats from opponent to opponent. First I hit him, now you hit him; then I hit him, then you hit him. If I get a yellow card, then you hit him. I come off with a yellow card, someone without a yellow card comes on and hits him.

“It’s frustrating for him. He needs to have great emotional control. I spoke to him at halftime, and I even told him in detail: ‘If you score a goal, be careful how you celebrate it so I can keep you on the field.’ It’s tough. We’re in a social era of anti-bullying. With Vini Jr., we’re still in the bullying era, whether it’s from opponents or the crowd. We need to educate him as much as possible and prepare him as much as possible. And that’s it.

“When we talk about the best players in the world, Madrid has many in this group. Mbappé is the top scorer in World Cup history, but Vini Jr. had a great World Cup, and Bellingham too. I had some doubts about starting him or bringing him on later. I don’t know if I made the right call starting him or should have waited, but physically and mentally, he’s very strong.

“What I expect from Bellingham, and for me, this is his position, is that connection with the attackers. He’s a player who can score and needs to play in a position close to goal. He can play as a ‘6’ or an ‘8,’ but if he plays there, we lose his proximity to the goal. I like that Bellingham who, in top physical condition, can give you 90 minutes of work, quality, and scoring opportunities.

“Today we started with Bernardo and Valverde behind. Bernardo has that organisational ability. We lose a little bit of Valverde's offensive projection. That shot he took off the post, if it hadn’t touched, it would’ve gone in. Valverde, if he plays with Tchouameni or Camavinga, can reach that position more often. We’re all getting to know each other, and it’s better to do so without losing points.”