Mourinho admits he wants both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid to lose

Jose Mourinho says his “impossible” wish for Sunday’s La Liga meeting between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid is for both teams to lose.

The two sides meet in the 12th round of the competition, with Barcelona top of the table on 30 points. Atletico Madrid are second, two points behind, while Mourinho’s Real Madrid sit third with 27 points.

Mourinho was speaking at the pre-match news conference ahead of Real Madrid’s fixture against Valencia on Saturday, with his comments published by Sport.

“Barcelona or Atletico Madrid? I hope both teams lose, but that is not possible,” the Portuguese manager said.

He added: “It is easy for me because we know that one of them, or both of them, will not take all the points from this round.”

Real Madrid face Valencia on 07 November 2026, while Atletico Madrid host Barcelona on 08 November 2026.

Mourinho was also asked about the progress of his Real Madrid team and whether their ability to recover from difficult situations was a sign of improvement.

“The best thing is not coming from behind, but playing in the way we performed against Racing Santander,” he said.

A comeback can demonstrate qualities within a squad, but Mourinho said it also highlighted areas that needed attention.

“Recovering from a deficit is positive, but it also means there are negative things,” he said.

He identified several factors that had helped Real Madrid turn matches around, including belief in their ability, unity within the squad and the friendship between the players.

“A comeback requires belief in your abilities, a united group, friendship between the players, a strong substitutes’ bench, motivating the squad and understanding the value of the shirt you wear,” Mourinho said.

“But it also has a negative side.”

Mourinho said Real Madrid had to address those weaknesses and become more consistent at the beginning of matches.

“We must work on this aspect and find greater consistency when it comes to starting games well,” he said. “We still have a lot of work to do.”

Real Madrid’s meeting with Valencia therefore comes before the weekend’s important contest between the two clubs leading La Liga. Barcelona’s two-point advantage over Atletico Madrid means the result at the top of the table could have a direct effect on the gap separating the leading sides, while Real Madrid will be looking to strengthen their position from third.