The 'Elephant in the Room' That Mourinho Does Not See at Real Madrid

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Atletico Madrid Real Madrid

20/09/26 16:15:00

3.40 3.90 1.90

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José Mourinho has identified a trend that is starting to repeat and is one of the news of the Real Madrid that have been most worrying for some time: the team creates chances to win games, doesn't convert them, and then loses control after half-time. The pattern reappeared against Elche, in a match that ended 2-3 thanks to a goal by Carlos Espí in the final stretch, reigniting the debate about managing leads.

The Portuguese coach avoided publicly criticizing his players after the game. His speech was much more restrained than the analysis by Jesús Gallego, who interpreted Mourinho's calmness as a way to contain a harsher critique towards a team that keeps letting winnable matches slip away.

José Mourinho encounters the same problem again

Real Madrid has followed a similar script in their last four games. They lost 1-0 to Betis, won 2-1 against Inter, thrashed 4-1 Rayo Vallecano, and narrowly beat 2-3 Elche, but in all of them, there were phases where they could have managed the score better and reduced the opponent's chances of a comeback.

The Elche case was the most recent. Madrid reached 0-2 before the 33rd minute, but allowed the opposition to equalize in the second half. Carlos Espí had to step up in stoppage time to score the 2-3 and prevent the team from dropping two points after having a clear lead.

Something different happened on the scoreboard against Betis, but with a similar root cause. José Mourinho's team had numerous chances and dominated for a large part of the game, yet failed to convert their opportunities and ended up losing 1-0. The coach himself later argued that Madrid had created enough offensive play to achieve a different outcome.

Real Madrid needs to maintain the pace for the full 90 minutes

The issue is not just about finishing. Jesús Gallego also highlighted the loss of intensity after halftime and the reaction from the bench. Against Elche, the opponent narrowed the gap in the 71st minute, equalized in the 83rd, and forced Madrid to once again chase a game they had under control with a two-goal lead.

Mourinho had previously acknowledged a similar situation after the 4-1 win against Rayo Vallecano, explaining that the team's physical level dropped in the second half. The difference was that the advantage built in the first half that time allowed Madrid to avoid a tense finish.

For Real Madrid, the next step involves addressing both facets of the problem: converting more chances and maintaining control when ahead. Failing to do so will keep leaving the door open for the opponent with every slim lead.

The upcoming challenge will raise the bar. José Mourinho's team will face Atlético de Madrid in the derby, a match where allowing a second half like against Elche could have greater consequences. Madrid enters with positive results but needs their dominance to extend beyond the first 45 minutes.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El "Elefante en la habitación", que Mourinho no ve en el Real Madrid