Jose Mourinho hit back at his critics after watching Real Madrid limp to a nervy 2-1 Champions League victory over Inter Milan on a turbulent evening at the Bernabeu.
Coming off the back of their first LaLiga defeat of the season at the weekend, Real Madrid quickly moved into a two-goal lead in their opening league-phase game, scoring twice within the opening 25 minutes at the Bernabeu.
Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring with a clinical finish from just inside the box before Federico Valverde capitalised on a goalkeeping error to tap in from close range.
But from there, Real Madrid failed to turn the screw. Jude Bellingham missed a huge opportunity to make it 3-0 before Carlos Augusto’s 77th-minute goal for Inter Milan ensured a nervy finish for the hosts.
Real Madrid fans did not attempt to mask their displeasure at the team’s performance towards the end of the match, and whistles rang around the stadium.
Club legend Raul said after the match that the win had not been easy, with Real’s goals coming from Inter’s mistakes, while the Italian side’s late goal had ‘created uncertainty at the end of the match’.
Real Madrid manager Mourinho has fired back at his critics after watching his side limp to a nervy 2-1 Champions League victory over Inter Milan on a turbulent evening at the Bernabeu
Mourinho started right back Alexander-Arnold in midfield amid suspensions for Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Guler and Bernardo Silva
When his assessment was put to Mourinho, the notoriously spiky boss fired back: ‘I prefer to say it was a crazy game. There’s so much criticism when a match is boring, but today it was crazy… it could have easily ended 7-6.
‘It wasn’t boring; we had chances to make it 3-0 in the last minute of the first half, but I agree with Raul that the goals came from their mistakes.’
He then stared down the barrel of the camera and said: ‘It’s not just criticism, we did some good things.’
Mourinho had been light on midfield options heading into the match amid suspensions for Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Guler and Bernardo Silva, and had started right back Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield.
Alexander-Arnold, 27, endured a mixed evening alongside Federico Valverde. While he created two chances and attempted more crosses than any other Real player, he also failed to win a tackle and his passing accuracy was down at 83.3 per cent.
Mourinho hinted after the game that the experiment, which former England boss Gareth Southgate had abandoned after two matches at Euro 2024, had failed.
‘I thank Trent Alexander-Arnold for his efforts to play in a position that is not his,’ Mourinho said. ‘It’s very clear that his qualities are made for the full-back position, not for midfield. He has played midfield with England and Liverpool … but he is not a midfielder.
Bellingham apologised for missing a huge chance to give the hosts a 3-0 lead in the second-half, writing on Instagram: ‘Don’t know wtf I was thinking’
‘He has played very well. He has interpreted what he needed to do really well, tactically. Both he and Valverde have performed very well at this level.’
Alexander-Arnold has struggled to nail down the starting spot at right back since moving from Liverpool to the Spanish capital last year. Yesterday was just his second start in the opening five matches under Mourinho.
Mourinho then added: ‘He has lost some balls because it is not the same playing in this position as it is at right back. The intensity of the physical work is quite difficult. He has a different engine. He has given 100 per cent. He left the pitch with nothing left to give.’
Mourinho’s evening would certainly have been more relaxing if Bellingham had been able to convert a golden opportunity to treble Real’s lead in the 58th minute.
Bellingham was unmarked and five yards out from an empty goal when he was played in by Brahim Diaz, but the 23-year-old’s decision to take a touch ultimately backfired, as Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez managed to get back and block his shot.
After the match, Bellingham posted on Instagram, acknowledging the mistake and writing: ‘Don’t know wtf I was thinking… But more importantly, a good win at home against a very strong side to kick off the new Champions League season.’
The England midfielder also replied ‘sorry mate’ to Diaz’s Instagram post later that evening.
Up next for Real is Rayo Vallecano at home in the league on Saturday, where they will attempt to recover the ground lost to league leaders Barcelona at the weekend, whom they now trail by three points.
The Champions League, meanwhile, does not return for its second matchweek until after the international break. Real Madrid will travel to Roma for their match on October 14.
