Mourinho tells Real Madrid to keep eyes on La Liga after El Clasico

Jose Mourinho says Real Madrid are focused on winning the La Liga title rather than simply celebrating their 2-1 victory over Barcelona.

The result at Spotify Camp Nou reduced Barcelona’s lead over their rivals to three points and gave Real Madrid a significant boost in the title race.

Mourinho praised his players for producing what he described as the most complete performance of his second spell in charge of the club, particularly because of the quality and strength of the opposition.

Real Madrid stayed composed under pressure, including after Barcelona equalised, before Kylian Mbappe scored the winning goal in the 87th minute.

“Real Madrid do not play to win at Camp Nou; they play to win the championship,” Mourinho said.

The Portuguese manager stressed that the team must continue working and remain focused despite the importance of the result. He warned that victory over Barcelona would lose much of its value if Real Madrid failed to win their next match.

Mourinho criticises VAR decision

Although Mourinho praised the main referee’s performance, he criticised the use of video assistant referee technology after VAR did not intervene following Joao Cancelo’s challenge on Yan Diomande.

Mourinho believed the incident should have resulted in a red card.

“The referee had a great game, but VAR was sleeping in the 60th minute, and a red card should have been shown for his challenge on Diomande,” he said.

Camavinga impact praised

Mourinho also defended his decision to leave Eduardo Camavinga on the bench at the start of the match, explaining that the midfielder remained an important player but that team selection depended on the demands of each fixture.

Camavinga’s introduction in the second half gave Real Madrid greater scope to exploit space and launch counter-attacks. Mourinho said that approach helped create the move which led to the winning goal.

The manager also praised goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, who replaced Thibaut Courtois and handled the opportunity with calmness and confidence.

Mourinho highlighted Federico Valverde’s determination to continue playing despite dealing with an injury, describing his contribution as another example of the commitment within the squad.

He concluded by emphasising the strength of the group and the unity in the dressing room. Real Madrid, he said, would need every player to be ready as they face a run of matches away from home.