José Mourinho’s Real Madrid defeated Valencia at Mestalla on Saturday, extending the club’s winning run to eight consecutive matches across La Liga and the Champions League, MARCA reported.
The result, Real Madrid’s fifth victory in a row, keeps the pressure on Barcelona in the La Liga standings. Mourinho said that at a club like Real Madrid, winning “has to be the norm,” adding that from his experience “this team smells good.”
Mourinho’s Message to Javier Aguirre
The Portuguese coach revealed what he told Valencia manager Javier Aguirre after the final whistle: “Don’t be sad because my players are much better than yours.” He added that the problem was not Aguirre, who has a lot of experience, but that Real Madrid’s players are very good — and coaches who have players like his are closer to winning.
Defensive Solidity and Refereeing at Mestalla
Mourinho credited the players for the team’s defensive solidity, saying they are responding in a spectacular way and that there has been great evolution. He noted that his side enjoyed a lot of possession and little defensive work, and reacted strongly whenever they lost the ball. The players, he said, are very united.
On the refereeing, Mourinho said that from a distance the red card seemed very clear, that he was unsure about the yellow shown to Kylian, and that from the bench the referee had done a great job in a stadium where the crowd protests. He described Mestalla as a place of passion, saying Valencia has always been a difficult, demanding stadium, and that playing against a Real Madrid superior both individually and collectively increases frustration and pushes opponents toward a style aimed at contesting the result.
Mourinho, who said he was tired and had a fever, also sent a message of calm to his own dressing room: “I will fight so that people stay balanced. Winning at a club like Real Madrid… you can’t go crazy, it has to be the norm.”
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