Real Madrid extended their perfect start to the 2026/27 under Jose Mourinho as they beat Malaga 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu earlier today.

Jude Bellingham opened the scoring for Los Blancos before an Alfonso Herrero own goal doubled the hosts’ lead.

Kylian Mbappe netted his fourth goal of the season to make it 4-0 before Arda Guler added more sheen to the scoreline in the stoppage time.

Mourinho, spoke to the media after his side’s victory over Málaga, addressing several aspects of the team’s performance and the development of his players.

Asked about the refereeing, Mourinho was brief: “It doesn’t deserve a comment,” he said in response to Malaga manager’s remarks about alleged differences in refereeing treatment.

Bellingham’s new freedom

The Real Madrid head coach then waxed a lyrical over Bellingham, who stole the show with another brilliant performance today.

“He’s very demanding of himself and others, and I like that a lot,” Mourinho said. “I’ve agreed with him that I didn’t want to see him defending like a second left-back. I’ve seen that a lot.”

The coach then referred to his previous experience at Benfica: “With Benfica, we exploited that situation a lot last season.”

According to Mourinho, Real Madrid have reorganized the team to give Bellingham a role in which he feels comfortable.

“He knows what he has to do and he feels comfortable,” he said, while acknowledging that the team lost some of its defensive structure late in the Malaga game after going 3-0 up.

“I’m very happy with everyone. But it’s true that in the final stretch, we lost our shape a bit at 3-0. Some stayed focused, others relaxed… That’s the feeling we all had.

“But this organization is what allows us to win back high balls without having to track back. It’s normal that we don’t have the energy or the mentality to do it for 90 minutes. 

The coach also praised the depth of his midfield, highlighting Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde and Bernardo Silva alongside Bellingham.

“Today a player who isn’t very loved played a great game, and that’s Camavinga,” Mourinho said. “And Fede, and Bernardo… There are many committed players.”

Praise for Dean Huijsen

Mourinho was particularly pleased with Dean Huijsen, although he insisted that his priority for the young defender is clear.

“I don’t want to compare him with last year because I don’t know the dynamic. What I’ve found is that we talk because I like a centre-back who has quality on the ball and can play passes between the lines,” Mourinho explained.

However, the Portuguese made his priorities clear: “For me, the important thing is that he is strong, wins duels and gives confidence. He has evolved quite a lot in a short time.”

Mourinho acknowledged that Huijsen made one mistake with a pass through the middle but was otherwise pleased with his performance.

“That’s the version I want. I like centre-backs who defend well. If they’re also good-looking with the ball, perfect. But first they have to defend.”

“I always want the best”

Mourinho was also asked about the chemistry between Real Madrid’s attacking superstars in Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., and Bellingham and the idea that certain stars might be incompatible.

His response was unequivocal: “Very, very good players want to play together. With people of their quality, their speed of thought and decision-making. These players always have to be compatible.”

That led to a pointed response to the long-standing narrative that Mourinho does not want certain players.

“People used to say that Mou didn’t want this one, didn’t want that one, didn’t want another… I always want the best,” he said.

“If there’s empathy, teamwork… I don’t see any problem; I see that they’re good.”

The Portuguese also addressed the challenge of keeping the entire squad involved throughout a long season, given that there are players who might not get regular minutes.

“It’s a difficult mission. It’s not a one-month mission, but a season-long one,” Mourinho explained.

“The frustration of those who aren’t playing is something that’s more in the players’ hands than in mine. I can show that I trust them all. They have to manage it themselves. Today Trent and Cucurella played, and Carreras and Dumfries didn’t…”

The message is clear: Mourinho intends to rotate without changing the team’s identity, giving as many players as possible opportunities to contribute.

Not getting carried away

Mourinho was also careful not to get carried away by Real Madrid’s strong start. He expects defeats, injuries and periods of poor form to arrive eventually.

He recalled that he went through an entire season unbeaten with Benfica but still finished third, reinforcing his belief that results alone don’t define a campaign.

“Last year I didn’t watch much of Real Madrid, except when we played them three times in a month. Before that, I watched a game whenever I could. I can’t compare. The problems will come, the defeats will come,” he noted.

“With Benfica, I didn’t lose a single game all last year and we finished third. I’d gladly take losing a few games and winning titles. But the negative period, a less successful phase, injuries… that’s going to happen.

“The problems will come. The criticism from the press, the negative reactions from the fans. We have to be very balanced and not let the negative impact affect the whole season. The team has to be united; that’s our salvation right now.”

Patience with Diomande

Mourinho also asked for patience with Yan Diomande, the club’s major attacking investment.

“He needs to take it step by step. He works hard and well. He’s open and humble, he wants to learn, he listens to his teammates, he’s going to grow.”

The Portuguese insisted that the player’s huge transfer fee should not create unrealistic expectations.

“I can’t focus on the 120 or 130 million… How much did they charge us? I have to focus on a player who’s coming off a top-level season at Leipzig,” he explained.

“When you talk about a huge number like that, you think of someone who arrives and blows everyone away. But that’s not it, he’s a young guy. Calm down, take it easy.”