Real Madrid’s attacking four emerge as Mourinho’s mainstays

Jose Mourinho says the “hard work” and “good work” now begin as Real Madrid prepare to open their La Liga campaign against Espanyol, with an unbeaten pre-season pointing towards four key attacking players: Diomande, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe.

Real Madrid won five and drew one of their six friendlies, showing clear signs of improvement before Saturday’s visit to Cornella. They also kept clean sheets against Deportivo and Schalke, and arrive having gone 243 minutes without conceding.

However, Mourinho has not yet been able to reveal his strongest team. Six players were given only limited playing time in the final match in Germany, while another six are unavailable because of injury. The six-game preparation period has therefore offered some certainty but also left the Portuguese manager with important decisions to make, according to Spanish newspaper AS.

Mourinho’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation appears designed to accommodate his attacking quartet. The four players have not yet started a match together. Vinicius was the first to return and featured in three friendlies, while the other three joined the squad last week and played together only against Schalke.

In Gelsenkirchen, Mourinho used a three-man defence for 25 minutes to provide additional protection for Mbappe. Diomande, Bellingham and Vinicius were on the pitch together, although Carlos Espay played as the centre-forward instead of the France international.

The formation has also given Mourinho room to alter his midfield. Against Deportivo, he began the second half with Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde and Bernardo Silva, while the players exchanged positions between attacking midfield and the left flank.

The main midfield question remains which pair Mourinho will use in the holding role. Aurelien Tchouameni, Valverde and Bernardo Silva are competing for the two places, with Camavinga another option.

Camavinga’s position is particularly intriguing. He has been Mourinho’s fourth-most-used player during pre-season, largely because he was available from the first day of training after missing the World Cup, unlike the other three midfielders. His performances, however, have not settled the debate surrounding him from last season and the competition remains open.

Mourinho initially paired Camavinga with Cestero against Alcorcon. He then used Valverde alongside the Frenchman against Leganes, Fiorentina and Ferencvaros. Camavinga and Bernardo Silva started against Deportivo, before Bernardo Silva and Valverde formed the midfield against Schalke.

Tchouameni has not played because of a thigh injury, while Thiago, the club’s latest arrival, is sidelined with a problem to his left knee.

Defensive decisions remain

Mourinho has also been unable to establish his preferred defence because of injuries and the delayed return of several players.

At left-back, Cucurella was expected to be an undisputed starter but played only 30 minutes against Schalke. His late arrival, combined with Mendy’s injury, has handed Carreras a bigger opportunity. Carreras has consequently played more minutes than any other Real Madrid player during the preparations.

On the right, Mourinho has alternated between Trent and Denzel Dumfries. The England international has played 241 minutes, compared with 239 for the Netherlands player, but those figures do not clearly establish who is first choice.

The pair shared 120 minutes on the pitch: the opening 75 minutes against Fiorentina and the second half against Deportivo. During that time, Trent operated at full-back while Dumfries played as a winger, underlining Mourinho’s desire to use their versatility rather than restrict them to a single position.

In central defence, injuries have further limited his options. Eder Militao is expected to return after the first international break, while Marco Asensio has played only in training matches against Alcorcon and Leganes.

Mourinho used Antonio Rudiger and Dean Huijsen together in the first half against Deportivo and repeated that combination after the interval against Schalke. In Germany, he partnered Ibrahima Konate with Huijsen for the opening 45 minutes.

Until Militao and Asensio return, the central-defensive competition appears likely to focus on Rudiger, Huijsen and Konate.

There are fewer doubts in goal, where Thibaut Courtois has impressed. The attacking quartet of Diomande, Bellingham, Vinicius and Mbappe also looks among the most settled parts of Mourinho’s new project.

Several supporting players have strengthened their claims, notably Arda Guler. He started all six friendlies, created goals for Valverde against Leganes and Huijsen in Gelsenkirchen, and showed he can operate in the attacking-midfield role normally occupied by Bellingham.

Mourinho’s system could give Guler valuable opportunities whenever Bellingham is rested, potentially making him one of the manager’s most important substitutes.

Brahim Diaz also appears to have found a defined role on the right wing after spending previous seasons moving between positions in search of a regular place in a 4-3-3 system. The biggest surprise of the preparation period, meanwhile, was Espay, who made a positive impression.

Endrick, who had been Mourinho’s main striker before Mbappe arrived, remains part of the plans after scoring against Fiorentina. He and Espay will compete for the limited minutes available behind the French forward.

Mourinho now has to make the final calls. Six friendlies have allowed him to assess a large part of his squad, although injuries and late arrivals prevented him from testing his ideal XI in full.

The first meaningful answers will come on Saturday at Cornella, when Real Madrid begin their La Liga campaign against Espanyol. That is when Mourinho will start to show which players he trusts most for the new season.