Mourinho urges Real Madrid to build on positive start as Courtois sees unity emerging

Jose Mourinho is seeking to turn Real Madrid’s encouraging start to the La Liga season into sustained momentum, while working to improve the squad’s fitness and tactical understanding.

According to Spanish newspaper AS, Mourinho’s immediate challenge is the differing physical condition of his players. Some members of the squad began pre-season with significantly more training sessions than others, creating an imbalance in their readiness.

That contrast can be seen between players including Dean Huijsen, Federico Valverde, Arda Guler and Denzel Dumfries, and others such as Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Ibrahima Konate and Marc Cucurella.

Despite those difficulties, Mourinho was impressed by Real Madrid’s attacking performance in their 2-1 victory over Espanyol. He felt his side gradually imposed its style on the match, even though Espanyol were better prepared after completing several weeks of collective pre-season work.

None of Espanyol’s players had been involved in the World Cup, giving them a more settled preparation than a number of Real Madrid’s squad members.

Mourinho still has work to do on both attacking and defensive transitions, which are central to his tactical approach. However, the Portuguese manager recognises that achieving complete cohesion will require further time and training.

The manager has also begun to establish a different culture inside the dressing room, built around competition, ambition and a determination to win. He is drawing on the motivation of a group of players who have gone two seasons without claiming one of the club’s major trophies, including the UEFA Champions League, La Liga or the Copa del Rey.

Although Real Madrid’s opening display was not flawless technically, their statistics suggested a team with considerable character. They won 63 successful duels compared with Espanyol’s 51, recorded 22 fast recoveries to their opponents’ 17 and regained possession 60 times, while Espanyol did so on 55 occasions.

Mourinho is attempting to reinforce a system based on daily demands, discipline and collective solidarity. That approach was reflected in Thibaut Courtois’ comments after the victory, when the Belgium goalkeeper praised the team’s discipline and said Real Madrid’s players had begun moving in the same direction.

“Everyone is working in the same direction,” Courtois said, highlighting the commitment Mourinho wants to establish within the squad.

The importance of continuing to collect points will increase over the next phase of the campaign. Real Madrid are due to play seven matches before the next international break, with four of those fixtures taking place away from home.

Among the opponents listed during that period are Espanyol, Real Betis, Elche and Atletico de Madrid. The demanding schedule will provide Mourinho with an early test of whether his players can maintain their progress while their fitness levels continue to improve.

The Portuguese manager will hope the difficult opening weeks become the foundation for a stronger season. Real Madrid are also waiting for the return of Eder Militao after the international break, which would give Mourinho another option in his squad and further strengthen his selection choices.