How Jose Mourinho is rebuilding Real Madrid's balance

Summary

The video examines José Mourinho’s return to Real Madrid after 13 years away and his effort to make the team more balanced defensively. Rather than recounting one match, it follows the team’s tactical changes and early-season results.

Madrid’s attacking talent has often overwhelmed domestic opponents, but the video says defensive problems have hurt them against Barcelona. Kylian Mbappé had lost five of his six Clásicos, with Madrid conceding 20 goals across those games, despite him scoring six.

Under previous coaches, Madrid often defended in a passive 4-4-2. Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior pressed up front, while gaps between the midfield and defence gave opponents room to advance. Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde were frequently pulled wide to cover, limiting Bellingham’s ability to make central runs. He scored 19 La Liga goals in his first Madrid season but had not matched that total across the following two and a quarter seasons combined.

Mourinho has instead used a more compact 4-2-3-1, defending higher and narrowing the spaces between players. Madrid press when opportunities arise but are also willing to concede possession in wide or deep areas rather than overextend themselves. Their average possession has fallen to 52.3%—more than seven percentage points below the previous three seasons—as defensive work is shared more evenly across the team.

That structure has helped creative midfielder Arda Güler find a place in the side and allowed Bellingham more freedom in central areas when Madrid have the ball. The team has also become more threatening on the counter: its attackers occupy the width of the pitch more consistently, while the signings of Yerry Mina, Mendy and Denzel Dumfries are described as adding threat on the opposite flank. Madrid had recorded 12 shots from counter-attacks, second-most among teams in Europe’s top five leagues.

The early results remained mixed. Before the first international break, Madrid were six points behind Barcelona. They lost away to Real Betis despite missing a penalty and producing 3.5 expected goals without scoring. They also struggled against Atlético de Madrid after a second-half red card. Barcelona, by contrast, had won their first seven matches and scored 31 goals.

The video concludes that Madrid’s title prospects looked unlikely, but the more collective approach could help them against elite opponents, particularly in the Champions League.

Presenters and sources

No presenter is identified in the subtitles. Sources cited include Opta, Carlo Ancelotti and The Athletic.