Mourinho praises Real Madrid’s late character after AEK Athens thriller

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho said his side possess the belief and quality required to win matches in the closing stages after their dramatic 3-2 victory over AEK Athens.

Real Madrid had to recover from behind before settling the match in the final minutes, extending a pattern of fighting until the final whistle. Mourinho said his players had shown the character needed to cope with the pressure of the game.

“These are the matches that are decided in the last minutes,” he said, as reported by Spanish newspaper AS. “Only we can win them in this way. We have what is needed to do it.”

Mourinho added that his squad believed they could complete a comeback and praised their courage, saying he was fortunate to work with a group of such quality.

He also paid tribute to AEK Athens, saying the Greek side’s performance had contributed to Real Madrid failing to produce their best football.

“We played against a very difficult team that had a great match, perhaps the best match they have played,” Mourinho said. “They were very well organised from the first minute, relied on direct football and showed great physical strength and intensity. They produced an exceptional performance.”

He added: “Despite the difficulties, we stayed in the game and knew how to deal with the critical moments. We showed strong character even when we were behind. In the final minute, when the match became open and both teams wanted to win, the team with greater individual quality prevailed.”

Mourinho defends Vinicius

Mourinho rejected the suggestion that Vinicius Junior’s presence had forced team-mate Diomande to move from the left side to the right.

“Vinicius did not cause anything,” he said. “Diomande came to Real Madrid to play on both sides, not just one. It does not matter to him and nothing changes for him, whichever side he plays on.”

The manager described Vinicius’ performance as acceptable and said his decisions over substitutions had been influenced not only by the match against AEK Athens, but also by Saturday’s La Liga meeting with Valencia.

Asked whether Vinicius required a softer or firmer approach, Mourinho replied jokingly: “80% with the right hand and 20% with the left hand,” indicating that he favoured the more lenient method.

Bellingham and Endrick praised

Mourinho described Jude Bellingham as an exceptional player with a complete range of qualities rarely found in another midfielder.

“Since I arrived, he has been performing well,” Mourinho said. “He is unique. There is no midfielder in the world with this level of completeness in every aspect. He has work rate, leadership, ambition, quality, the ability to reach the box and score. He is an exceptional player.”

He said he understood the frustration of players who were not receiving enough playing time, including Endrick, but stressed that the strength of his substitutes gave him numerous options. He cited Eder Militao’s contribution, despite the defender needing time to regain his match rhythm.

“Many coaches look at my bench with positive envy,” Mourinho said. “When I have a problem and look at the substitutes, I find many options. We have a squad of great quality, and as long as the players work only for the team and put personal considerations aside, this group will be extremely strong.”

Mourinho said he planned to make several changes against Valencia because of the fixture schedule and the short interval between the two matches. Dean Huijsen, Konate, Aurelien Tchouameni and Arda Guler were among those expected to benefit.

Valencia face Real Madrid in La Liga on 07 November 2026. AEK Athens are due to play Levadiakos in the Greek Super League on 08 November 2026.