José Mourinho Shakes Up Real Madrid Ahead of El Clásico

José Mourinho Takes Control Ahead of El Clásico

José Mourinho is beginning to put his clearest stamp yet on Real Madrid. The last two matches have shown a far more hands-on version of the Portuguese coach, both with his starting lineups and his in-game decisions, producing two wins and eight goals ahead of a huge trip to Barcelona.

The win in Rome kept Madrid perfect in the Champions League, while the victory over Sevilla kept them alive in the league race despite a significant gap to the leaders. That picture could change considerably if Los Blancos come away from El Clásico with a big result.

More than the points, however, it is Mourinho’s influence that is beginning to stand out. He has changed positions, broken up partnerships that were not fully working and found new solutions in players who, until recently, had very different roles within the team.

Valverde at Right Back, Güler Pulling the Strings

One of Mourinho’s biggest calls against Sevilla was moving Fede Valverde to right back, a switch that is starting to gain momentum within the team. It breaks up his usual midfield partnership with Tchouaméni while providing another option in a position where neither Trent nor Dumfries has fully convinced.

Mourinho also made a move he had resisted earlier in the season: dropping Arda Güler into the double pivot. The Portuguese coach believes the Turkish midfielder can be particularly dangerous closer to goal, but Madrid’s problems creating from deeper areas ultimately forced him to rethink that stance.

The response was immediate. Madrid looked sharper in possession and Güler directly influenced the scoreline, netting the opening goal against Sevilla and showing that he can still have a major impact even from a deeper starting position.

Yan Diomande Makes the Most of His Chance

Vinicius’ suspension opened the door for Yan Diomande on the left, and the Ivorian responded with one of his best performances since joining Madrid. He was aggressive in one-on-one situations and repeatedly created danger, although his decision-making with the final pass still left room for improvement.

His performance nevertheless got its reward. Diomande scored the final goal of the game and added an assist, building on the progress he had already shown days earlier in Rome.

That makes it two straight games with an assist, plus another goal, for a player whose influence in Madrid’s attack is clearly growing. With Vinicius available again, Mourinho must now decide whether to keep that formula or return Diomande to a secondary role.

The Comeback in Rome Set the Blueprint

The changes against Sevilla did not come out of nowhere. Four days earlier, Mourinho had already transformed the game in Rome after Madrid found themselves 3-1 down.

The Portuguese coach took off Dumfries, introduced Güler and used the same formula he would later take into his starting XI: the Turkish midfielder moved into the middle, while Valverde dropped to right back. He also replaced Tchouaméni with Bernardo and finished the game with an attack-heavy lineup in search of the comeback.

Endrick and Espí also came on and played decisive roles as Madrid turned the game around in the final ten minutes. Two matches later, the message is clear: Mourinho is starting to find answers from the tactical board just before facing Barcelona, in a game that could dramatically reshape the LaLiga race.

The Decisions Changing Real Madrid

• Fede Valverde has moved to right back, a variation Mourinho already used during the comeback in Rome.
• Arda Güler dropped into the double pivot and responded with greater influence in buildup play and a goal against Sevilla.
• Yan Diomande took advantage of Vinicius’ absence with a goal and an assist, increasing the competition for places in attack ahead of El Clásico.

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