October 11, 2026
Real Madrid came out with a narrow victory with a clean goal against its guest, Villarreal, in the Spanish Football League, in a match during which it did not provide the expected performance that its fans were anticipating to compensate for the recent “derby” loss to Atletico Madrid. The team’s fans expressed their dissatisfaction by booing at the end of the first half, going beyond the score of one match to affect the team’s overall level, which continues to falter in providing a convincing performance despite the change in the technical staff and the expansion of options.
It is noteworthy that last season began under the leadership of Xabi Alonso and ended with Alvaro Arbeloa, without the team achieving any of the league, cup, or Champions League titles. With the appointment of Jose Mourinho last June, the team was given a new start, and comparisons are made today about the ability of the new technical staff to establish a stable way of playing under pressure, after the failure of previous coaches to win major titles.
In terms of elements, the squad witnessed notable changes with Ibrahima Konate joining the defensive line, Bernardo Silva joining the midfield, and Yann Diomande joining the attacking line. These deals give Mourinho various tactical options, represented by an additional defender for physical contact, a midfielder who is good at keeping the ball and passing in tight spaces, and a striker who poses a constant threat with speed. However, the abundance of options presents the coach with the challenge of choosing the optimal combination and defining the roles accurately, especially when the playing rhythm decreases.
Against Villarreal, Mourinho relied on a lineup that included Choamini and Valverde, along with Bellingham, Guller and Diomande behind striker Kylian Mbappe, while Bernardo Silva and Unisius Junior sat on the bench. These options reflected the coach’s attempt to combine solidity in the midfield with attacking diversity. However, the first half did not witness optimal exploitation by the playmakers, and despite creating some opportunities for Mbappe – most notably a shot that hit the post – the team failed to impose sustained offensive control.
The minutes that followed the break witnessed an influential tactical adjustment, represented by the transfer of Fede Valverde to the right-back position following the departure of Trent and the entry of Vinicius Junior. This change resulted in creating the only goal of the match through a perfect pass behind the defense scored by Diomande. This adjustment highlighted the effectiveness of the solutions, but it raised questions about the optimal use of Valverde’s roles.
On the other hand, keeping Vinicius on the bench at the beginning of the match reflected Mourinho’s willingness to exclude any star whose performance was declining. However, the Brazilian player’s participation later ended in him receiving a red card after pulling an opponent’s hair and canceling a goal, which put the team in the embarrassment of completing the match with ten players to maintain its lead. This position confirms that Vinicius’s recovery to his level has become linked to discipline, in light of the team’s urgent need to avoid losing the efforts of its attackers in this way.
Despite the success in maintaining the lead thanks to goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois’ decisive interventions in difficult minutes, this is not sufficient evidence of addressing the problems of last season. The changes in names and choices still seem much clearer than the regularity of the collective performance, which puts coach Jose Mourinho before the inevitable task of reducing the interruption in creating opportunities, stabilizing the roles of the midfield, and limiting matches in which the victory depends on a single opportunity or a heroic save from the goalkeeper.
