Mourinho says Real Madrid will not change identity to stop Lamine Yamal

Jose Mourinho says Real Madrid will not abandon their tactical principles to contain Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal in Sunday’s El Clasico at the Spotify Camp Nou.

Real Madrid head to Catalonia six points behind their rivals after nine La Liga matches. Mourinho’s team defeated RB Leipzig in the Champions League during the week, while Barcelona lost 4-2 to Paris Saint-Germain.

However, the Portuguese coach does not expect Barcelona’s European defeat to have any bearing on their confidence before one of football’s biggest matches.

“We’re in a good run of form, we’re playing well, we’re scoring goals, but the Clasico doesn’t matter what you’ve done before,” Mourinho said. “It has no influence. It’s truly different.”

The Real Madrid boss also rejected the idea that the result would establish whether his side could challenge for trophies this season.

“No, Real Madrid with Mourinho wins titles,” he said.

Mourinho was asked how Madrid would deal with Yamal, whose ability could pose a significant threat to their defence. Although he praised the teenager, he said his team would not redesign its entire approach to counter one player.

“He is a great player, and great players deserve respect,” Mourinho said.

“But respecting someone is one thing, while changing your plans and structures and forgetting your own identity is another. We will not do that, either against him or against another player with his exceptional quality.”

The manager also disputed comparisons between Real Madrid and Barcelona, saying his side had not yet had enough time to develop fully.

Mourinho has been in charge for only three months, while an interrupted pre-season and international breaks have reduced the time available to work with his players.

“We are a long way from being a finished product,” he said.

“This is the beginning. We are at a stage where the coach is getting to know the players, analysing them and defining paths, while they are getting to know the coach.”

He added that it was unfair to compare Madrid with a team that had spent several years developing together, although he accepted that Barcelona were sometimes worthy of the praise they received.

Mourinho declined to explain how his side would approach the match, including whether Madrid would adopt a more attacking strategy to target Barcelona’s defensive weaknesses.

“You’re smart, but I’m not stupid!” he joked when pressed on his plans.

The former Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid manager also praised Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick, calling him a great coach who was doing an excellent job.

Mourinho used the news conference to repeat his concerns about refereeing appointments being disclosed before matches. He said the issue was not which officials had been selected, but whether the relevant rules were being observed.

“The referee’s name never bothers me. I start from the principle that the referee is good,” he said.

“What bothers me is when the rules are broken and, according to internal information, the situation is still not clear.”