Real Madrid News
Real Madrid fully trust Mourinho to bring the best out of superstar trio – report
Real Madrid appointed Jose Mourinho as the manager to take their project forward, and have given him a Galactico squad to work with.
Los Blancos are convinced that the Portuguese tactician can get the best out of their biggest attacking names, with the club placing full trust in his ability to blend elite talent.
According to MARCA, Real Madrid have an unwavering belief in Mourinho’s capacity to maximise the trio of Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe.
That is the central challenge of his return. Mourinho was not brought back only to restore discipline or control the dressing room.
He was also brought back to make Madrid’s most decisive players function as one unit. On paper, the talent is frightening. In reality, making it work requires structure, sacrifice and clear roles.
Three stars, one team
Bellingham, Vinicius and Mbappe all influence matches in different ways. Bellingham attacks space, connects phases and brings box-to-box force.
Vinicius breaks games open from wide areas with pace and chaos. Mbappe is the ultimate finisher and transition weapon.
The challenge is not whether they are good enough. The challenge is how Madrid get all three of them functioning together without it coming at the cost of one of their influences.
This is where Mourinho’s managerial prowess matters.
He must define who attacks which zones, who presses first, who covers when the attack breaks, and how the team protects itself when all three are on the pitch.
Real Madrid believe he can do that because Mourinho has always been comfortable managing big personalities. He does not need a quiet dressing room. He needs players who buy into his eccentricity.
The season depends on balance
For Real Madrid supporters, this is the most exciting part of the new project.
If Mourinho gets the trio working, Los Blancos can become devastating. Few teams in Europe could handle Bellingham’s power, Vinicius’ 1v1 threat and Mbappe’s finishing in the same attacking structure.
If the balance goes wrong, though, the team could become too stretched, with too much freedom and not enough control, which is yet another familiar issue for Los Blancos.
Real Madrid have made their bet. It remains to be seen how Mourinho gets the best out of the three superstars and turns them into one collective, destructive weapon.
Elche manager Martin Anselmi knows his side cannot afford to spend 90 minutes simply absorbing pressure when Real Madrid arrive for Tuesday’s La Liga clash.
After showing greater resilience against Athletic Club, the Argentine wants Elche to take that confidence into one of their toughest fixtures of the season.
A 1-1 draw at San Mames provided some encouragement after a difficult opening to the campaign.
Elche had led for much of the second half before Athletic eventually found a way back, but Anselmi believes the performance offered a blueprint for what his team must do next.
“The fact that we put up a fight at San Mames makes us feel united and shows us that this is the path to follow,” said the Elche manager, as per MARCA.
Anselmi wants Elche to defend with the ball
Against Real Madrid, Anselmi does not intend to abandon the principles that helped Elche compete in Bilbao.
His preferred defensive strategy starts with keeping the ball away from the opposition.
“For us, the best way to defend is to keep possession. I think we need to show the same defensive resilience as we did at San Mames and defend with the ball.”
That approach will face a severe examination against a Real Madrid side possessing the quality to punish even brief lapses.
Elche have already conceded 13 goals this season and currently sit 19th, making defensive concentration a major concern.
On that note, Anselmi is fully aware of the individual threat Madrid possess.
“They make complicated moves look easy and push you to the limit. We mustn’t give anything away and need to stay focused throughout the match.”
The fixture arrives at an awkward time for Anselmi, who has had limited preparation time before facing Madrid, and Yago de Santiago will be the only confirmed absentee.
“The most important match is the next one. From there, we’ll see who’s in the best form and spread the workload,” said the Elche boss.
Real Madrid test comes at a crucial moment
Elche’s start to the 2026/27 season has been anything but positive.
They drew with Deportivo La Coruña before losing three consecutive games against Barcelona, Racing Santander and 10-man Real Sociedad, during which they conceded 11 goals.
The draw against Athletic halted that run, but it did not erase the defensive problems. Elche currently have the second-worst defensive record in La Liga, leaving Anselmi with little margin for error against Real Madrid.
