Mourinho wants to see better starts from Madrid
Jose Mourinho knows Real Madrid must be more consistent at the start of games, saying its recent history of comebacks is both a positive and a negative.
Madrid visits Valencia in LaLiga this Sunday (AEDT), and a head-to-head meeting between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona the next day means Madrid has a chance to make up ground at the top of the table.
Los Blancos sit third after 11 games, one point below cross-city rival Atleti and three adrift of Barca, which leads the way.
Mourinho's side thrashed Racing Santander 3-0 in its most recent league game, but had a much tougher test in the UEFA Champions League, twice falling behind to AEK Athens before recovering for a 3-2 victory.
"It's better not to have to come from behind, it's better to have things like in Santander, where it was 3-0 and could have been four or five by half-time," Mourinho said.
"Coming from behind means many positive things, but also some negatives. The positives are the belief in the group, the friendship, that openness to risky situations, a strong bench, group motivation and knowing what jersey you are wearing.
"But it also has a negative side, and we need to work on it, finding more consistency in starting games well, like in Santander. There's a lot for us to do."
The game against Valencia will be the last one where Madrid is without Vinicius Junior, after he was suspended for four games after being sent off for pulling Nathan Saliba's hair during a win over Villarreal last month.
But Mourinho says it may not be as simple as Vinicius walking back into their starting line-up after the international break.
"For me, the most important thing is the team. I would never harm the team to benefit a player. When we return to normal with Vini being available, I will manage it," he said.
"I want the team to think game by game, but as a coach, I have to think about the next few matches and the sequence of games we have.
"The most straightforward answer to your question is that a coach must do everything to have his players at the highest level.
"We always expect the Vini who eliminated me from the Champions League with Benfica, and that version exists.
"We must continue exploring all strategies at all levels. When deciding who plays, the team is always above the individual."
Valencia is 19th on the table ahead of this weekend's fixtures, having beaten Elche 1-0 last time out to earn its first victory under former Mexico boss Javier Aguirre.
