Real Madrid News
Jose Mourinho faces first major test of Real Madrid return with Betis and Inter ahead
Jose Mourinho’s second spell at Real Madrid has started almost perfectly, with three wins from three for his side.
Los Blancos have played some entertaining football, scored goals for fun and seen their superstars come together with the kind of chemistry not seen before.
However, it does look like the honeymoon period might be coming to an end. Two demanding matches in the space of just five days should provide the first meaningful test of how far his new-look side have already progressed.
Madrid first travel to face Real Betis in La Liga before turning their attention to Inter Milan at the Bernabeu in their Champions League opener.
Betis provide first warning
Madrid have built momentum quickly, combining attacking intensity with signs of improving defensive organisation.
Betis, however, should ask more difficult questions than Madrid have faced so far.
Playing away from home against a technically strong side will test whether Mourinho’s team can maintain their aggressive approach when the match becomes less comfortable.
It is the type of fixture that Madrid have typically struggled with in the last couple of seasons, which is usually the difference between finishing first and second in La Liga.
Mourinho has repeatedly stressed the importance of his team playing as a group, and it is in these kinds of games that the idea will really be tested.
Inter raise the difficulty considerably
If Betis are set to be a challenge, Madrid face an even bigger one in the coming days after that game.
Inter represent Madrid’s first Champions League opponents of the season and immediately offer Mourinho an opportunity to measure his project against elite European opposition.
Madrid will also enter that game with midfield problems. Aurelien Tchouameni is unavailable through injury, while Arda Guler, Eduardo Camavinga and Bernardo Silva are suspended.
That could force Mourinho to turn to youngsters like Sergio Martinez to play a key role and emerge victorious against someone he formerly managed, Cristian Chivu.
Reality will start to sink in
The joy around Madrid, their team and the fans is the highest it has been in the last couple of seasons.
Jose Mourinho had an excellent pre-season upon his return to Spain, and the performances have reflected the work put in back then.
However, the real test is set to begin now. Playing Betis and Inter back-to-back is not going to be an easy task for Madrid.
It could finally be the time when chinks in the armour begin to appear, and Mourinho will have to be proactive to find solutions along the way.
It remains to be seen how Jose’s team get through these important games and whether Madrid can still keep their perfect record intact at the end of next week.
Real Madrid were hit with a speed bump after their perfect start to the season, with Real Betis offering an important reality check to Jose Mourinho’s team.
After three wins from three to start the season, Madrid ran into a resolute Betis side at the Villamarin in a game where the ball simply refused to go in for them.
On the one occasion that it did, Carlos Espi’s sensational overhead strike was ruled out for a marginal offside.
Los Blancos lost the game 1-0 to the Andalusian side, but one of the few positives from the game was the continued good form of Arda Guler.
Even with the team struggling around him, the Turkey midfielder once again showed why he believes this could be the year he takes a major step forward under Jose Mourinho.
Guler making his opportunities count
According to AS, Guler remains convinced that working with Mourinho can accelerate his development and help him reach another level competitively.
His confidence comes at a time when his performances are making an increasingly strong argument for greater responsibility.
The numbers from the Betis defeat underline the kind of game the Turkey international had, despite the result not going his way.
Guler created seven chances, more than any other Madrid player, while also recovering five balls, the second-highest total among the team’s outfield players.
That made Mourinho’s decision to substitute him midway through the second half particularly perplexing.
The coach’s concern was Guler’s yellow card and the possibility of Madrid going down to 10 men. However, this is not the first time the 21-year-old has been removed despite playing well.
Against Espanyol, he was also substituted after around an hour despite assisting Jude Bellingham and being one of Madrid’s strongest performers.
Mourinho has a difficult decision
Guler remains Mourinho’s starting option in the right-wing role, but Yan Diomande’s presence creates obvious competition after Madrid invested €125 million plus bonuses to sign the Ivorian.
The encouraging part is that Guler appears determined to respond through performances rather than worry about the competition.
He is taking his chances and, at times, playing at a creative tempo his team-mates are struggling to match. That should strengthen his position rather than weaken it.
Guler believes Mourinho can help him develop and make a significant competitive leap this season. So far, there is reason to share that confidence.
The next stage is about turning impressive stretches into sustained influence over complete matches.
Guler’s on-pitch relationship with Mbappe is probably the best two-man relationship in the team at the moment.
So far, the Turk has done nothing wrong to make Mourinho consider dropping him, and it remains to be seen how many more minutes he gets with Diomande’s threat looming large.
