The Issues Jose Mourinho Is Struggling to Fix at Real Madrid in His Second Spell

Thirteen years after he last walked out of the Bernabeu, Jose Mourinho is back at Real Madrid facing a very different kind of challenge. Handed a three-year deal to restore both stability and silverware after two trophyless seasons, his second spell is already showing cracks just seven league games in, with Sunday’s derby defeat to Atletico Madrid reviving familiar tensions around his approach.

A Sobering Derby Defeat

Mourinho pointed to two contentious first-half incidents in the Atletico loss — Cristian Romero escaping punishment for a studs-up challenge on Jude Bellingham, and Lee Kang-in going unpunished for a similar foul on Federico Valverde — but even he would likely admit the underlying performance simply wasn’t good enough. The result leaves Madrid fourth, six points behind a red-hot Barcelona side that has won every league game so far, with Atletico and Real Betis both sitting five points clear of Mourinho’s side in second and third.

Missing Control in Midfield

One of the clearest issues from the Atletico defeat was Madrid’s inability to control the game through midfield. Mourinho started Aurelien Tchouameni alongside Valverde, pushing Bellingham further forward — a setup that offered energy and defensive solidity but struggled to dictate tempo or generate chances from deeper areas. Bernardo Silva’s introduction came too late, with just eight minutes left and Madrid already chasing the match. Against sides that sit in a compact defensive block, Mourinho may need to lean more on creative options like Silva or Arda Guler, without necessarily scrapping his double-pivot setup entirely — the priority is simply finding a way to assert more control over matches.

Getting More From Mbappe and Vinicius

Real Madrid aren’t short on individual quality in attack, but turning that into a cohesive unit remains a work in progress. Kylian Mbappe barely touched the ball against Atletico, while Vinicius Jr was substituted shortly after Dean Huijsen’s red card early in the second half. With Vinicius, Mbappe, and Bellingham all capable of winning matches on their own, Mourinho’s challenge is making sure the trio complement rather than crowd one another — Vinicius needs to rediscover his explosiveness, while Mbappe needs more service rather than being left to create chances for himself.

One option already showing promise is 21-year-old Carlos Espi, who has scored late winners against both Espanyol and Elche since arriving at the club. His early impact suggests he could offer Mourinho a useful alternative focal point, particularly in the closing stages of tight matches.

Fixing the Transitions

The other major concern is what happens when Madrid lose possession. Atletico repeatedly exploited space around Madrid’s midfield on the counter, a problem made worse once Huijsen was sent off. If Mourinho wants his side to press aggressively and commit numbers forward, Tchouameni and Valverde need to offer more defensive protection when the ball is lost. The back four of Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, Huijsen, and Marc Cucurella has quality, but lacks cohesion, especially when the full-backs push high. Thibaut Courtois’ string of important saves papered over some of those cracks against Atletico — reducing his workload in transition will be key going forward.

Why It Matters

With an unusually long three-week international break now underway, Mourinho has a rare early window to reassess before Madrid’s next test against Villarreal on October 10, followed by a trip to Barcelona two weeks later. How he addresses these structural issues — midfield control, attacking balance, and defensive transitions — could shape the entire direction of his second spell at the Bernabeu.

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