Mourinho salutes Mbappé as Real’s winning start continues [Real Madrid 4-1 Real Sociedad] | OneFootball

Mourinho's Real are the early leaders in La Liga [Getty Images]

José Mourinho has two wins from his opening two games in La Liga upon his return as Real Madrid manager, after watching his side produce a strong second half to beat Real Sociedad 4-1 at the Bernabeu.

The star of the show for Mourinho’s side was France superstar forward Kylian Mbappé, who netted a clinical hat-trick to settle the nerves after a frustrating first half. Mourinho praised Mbappe strongly after the match, while stressing that he was not overawed by a warm welcome from the home crowd for his second stint as manager.

The sides went into the break level at 1-1 after Mbappe’s opener on 40 minutes, created by Federico Valverde, was cancelled out by Luka Sucic just before the interval. However, Madrid proved far too strong in the second period, with star-studded trio Mbappe, Vinícius Jr– who also scored – and Jude Bellingham orchestrating a convincing victory.

“The first match at the Bernabéu was calm,” said Mourinho, who again selected Bernardo Silva in his line-up. “I don’t get very nervous or tense before matches anymore. I enjoyed it a lot. The last time I came here with Benfica, I stayed in the garage watching the game. Today is the first time I’ve been in the new Bernabéu.

“Chanting my name? I’m not a fan of that. The team is the most important thing, and feeling the support is what matters most to me. I’m very happy with the players’ feelings after playing their first home match, winning well, the fans going home smiling, and tomorrow we train because Málaga is coming on Sunday.

“Mbappé? I don’t like comparing players, but this guy is incredible. I’m really happy that he made history in the World Cup because there are 25 world champion players, but only one is eternal in football: the player who has the most goals in the World Cup. He’s made that history, but I see him with a lot of hunger to make history with Real Madrid.

“In my career, I’ve had the opportunity to coach teams with incredible players, and I’ve also had periods where I coached good players, but not the top of the top. I always say that with these [incredible] players, you have to teach them to play as a team and teach them very little from an individual perspective.

“And when the team struggles to build play, Kylian has tremendous quality. He’s not just a goal scorer or the typical forward waiting for the team’s offensive play to score. When he drops back to start the play, then combines with Jude, he’s already facing goal. He has so much quality, and so do all of them. Obviously, Kylian did what he did, but if I go player by player, the center-backs were very dominant, and Bernardo or Fede worked incredibly hard.

“Can he score 60 goals? Kylian is an absolutely incredible player, I can’t say. I prefer 40 with titles than 60 without titles. I prefer 40 with a lot of work for the team than 60 just playing for himself, as often happens with forwards. I’m very happy with him.

“From a technical standpoint, there’s obviously nothing to say, but in terms of helping the group grow, taking responsibility, working... He arrived two days early, and two days early in that preseason period can mean something positive. I left him on the field for the full ninety minutes, hoping he might score four goals. When Vini Jr. scored, I immediately decided to take him off.”

“A few boos don’t hurt anyone” 

A below-par first have resulted in a few sounds of derision from the home crowd in the Spanish capital, but Mourinho insists the dissatisfaction of the Real supporters is a reflection of the standards set at the club and represent a challenge his players must face.

“We already know the Bernabéu, don’t we? The players know it, I know it. Obviously, for those who just arrived, it’s their first impression, but we already know it. And thankfully, it’s like this because it’s a consequence of the history. The expectations stem from the history.

“Madrid always has great players, great teams, and people always want more and more and more. And then, obviously, being a fan is one thing, and being a player or coach is another. Fans can and do pay to have their moments of happiness and frustration. We are where we are because we have the ability to stay calm in the face of challenges. Many times, top teams can’t manage this.

“The boos and the applause are ultimately fair. The fans were frustrated. When they’re frustrated, a few boos don’t hurt anyone; they help you grow too. But there will be matches where we’ll win with difficulty.

“Spanish teams play well, have good coaches, good players, and they really like to have the ball. They’re not afraid to play against big teams. In other leagues, teams don’t play against the big clubs; they just defend. Both Espanyol and Real Sociedad tried to play their game and tried to win. That’s something to value as well.”

The victory sees Madrid take an early lead in 1st position at the top of La Liga after two rounds of action. Next up for Mourinho’s side is a home match with Malaga on Sunday afternoon.