Pleased with Real Madrid's attacking performance, Mourinho now aims to strengthen the defense.

Currently, everything is going well for Mourinho's Real Madrid. But the coach wants more, especially in defense. The two goals conceded in the first two league games have left the Portuguese coach dissatisfied, and he hopes to further strengthen the team's defensive line. He also knows that with the team's attacking firepower, most opponents this season will find it difficult to contain Real Madrid.
Mourinho is unhappy with the two goals conceded against Espanyol and Real Sociedad, particularly the timing—both came shortly after Real Madrid took the lead. The team's concentration dropped after achieving the most difficult task of scoring first, an area that needs improvement. Against Real Sociedad, Real Madrid allowed the opponents 3 shots on target. Although only one was converted into a goal, the San Sebastián side had a total of 10 shot attempts on Courtois's goal (7 off-target). In the opinion of the coach from Setúbal, this statistic shows room for improvement.
The previous Saturday in Cornellà, Espanyol also had 3 shots on target against Courtois, with 8 total attempts. For this reason, Mourinho believes that improving the team's defensive balance is crucial, and this task does not fall solely on the defenders. For him, defense is a collective effort, and all 11 players on the pitch must participate, from goalkeeper to striker.
On the attacking front, the team has demonstrated the firepower expected of them. Against Espanyol, Real Madrid had 21 shots, with 8 on target; against Real Sociedad, they had 20 shots, with 10 on target. In total, they scored 6 goals, with 2 hitting the woodwork (from Bellingham and Valverde in the match against Real Sociedad), demonstrating the attacking prowess of this Madrid team, despite relatively limited overall cohesion this early in the season.
Overall, Mourinho is satisfied with what he has seen. The team controlled possession in both of the first two matches (though against Real Sociedad they had only a slight advantage of 51 to 49), but this statistic has always been downplayed by the Portuguese coach. For Mourinho, the focus is not on possession quantity, but on possession quality. The team's ability to create chances is also meeting expectations, and considering the characteristics of early season football, there is still significant room for improvement.
Setting aside the two consecutive victories—it is only two rounds into the league season, after all—this remains a temporary indicator. The team has started to find its rhythm and has steadily improved after 4 preseason friendlies and the first two official matches. Moreover, the team can continue to win during its development process, which always makes the external environment easier and strengthens the dressing room's confidence in this new project.
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Real Madrid
José Mourinho
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