Mourinho tells Real Madrid to stay focused after Clasico win

Jose Mourinho has urged Real Madrid to remain grounded after their 2-1 victory over Barcelona, saying the club’s objective is to win La Liga rather than simply savour a famous success at Camp Nou.

Kylian Mbappe scored twice, including a late winner, as Madrid secured a crucial victory in Sunday’s Clasico and moved to within three points of Barcelona at the top of the table.

The result was Madrid’s fifth consecutive win in all competitions, but Mourinho warned his players that sustaining their form mattered more than celebrating one high-profile result.

“This is a great win, but when we get back to work, I’m not going to let anyone have their head in the clouds,” Mourinho said after the match.

“If we win today and lose at El Sardinero, Real Madrid don’t play to win at Camp Nou, but rather to win the league. We have to keep going.”

Mbappe put Madrid ahead in the 41st minute after Gerard Martin’s attempted clearance rebounded off the French forward and ended up in the Barcelona net.

Raphinha brought Barcelona level, but Madrid regained the lead late on when Mbappe completed a quick counterattack. Substitute Eduardo Camavinga provided the decisive pass for the winner.

Mourinho praised Madrid’s performance against a strong Barcelona side, highlighting the team’s discipline and resilience.

“I think it was a great game. A game at a high level, a game which the world that loves football stopped to see, and they weren’t let down,” he said.

“In our case, the boys played an extraordinary game, well organised, focused, with a lot of courage.”

The Madrid coach said his players had earned the victory through their commitment against their biggest rivals.

“For me it’s a great victory for the boys, against a great opponent. The boys deserve it,” he said.

Madrid were without first-choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who missed the match through flu. Andriy Lunin replaced him and helped the visitors claim an important result.

Mourinho said the squad had the strength to cope with Courtois’ absence and backed Lunin to take his opportunity.

“The only thing I said to Lunin before the game was: you train to play, not to be on the bench,” he said.

“We have the best keeper in the world, but today we weren’t crying before the game because Thibaut couldn’t play. The group is strong.”

Captain Federico Valverde also completed the match despite picking up an injury in the first half.

“Valverde played injured for over 40 minutes,” Mourinho revealed. “He got injured, he wanted to carry on. He wanted to go to the limit. He gave everything on the field.”

Real Madrid’s next match is Sunday’s away game against Racing Santander, where Mourinho will expect his team to maintain the level that secured their Clasico victory.