Real Madrid have won their last seven matches in all competitions. The player they have been winning without is Vinicius Junior.
The streak was extended to seven on Wednesday night when Federico Valverde struck in the 92nd minute of a 3-2 Champions League win over AEK Athens, with Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe also on the scoresheet. The late winner was Madrid’s 49th 90th-minute-or-later goal in European Cup and Champions League history, more than any other club.
The symbolic win came earlier. Madrid went to Camp Nou on 25 October and left with a 2-1 victory, with Mbappe scoring twice either side of a Raphinha equaliser. His second, in the 87th minute, was also his 100th goal for the club and ended a nine-match Barcelona winning run in La Liga.
Mourinho downplayed the result straight away.
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“If we win today but lose at El Sardinero, it counts for nothing, because Madrid isn’t playing to win at the Camp Nou. They’re playing to win the championship,” he told reporters.
Vinicius watched the Clasico from outside
Vinicius was not at Camp Nou. The Brazilian is serving a four-match La Liga ban after being sent off at Villarreal on 10 October for pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair and then arguing with the referee. He has missed Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander and tonight’s trip to Valencia, and is eligible to return against Celta on 22 November.
He posted the Clasico scoreline on Instagram with four laughing emojis, sharing the moment from outside the squad. Arda Guler and Yan Diomande had covered his position.
Diomande is the new winger
Diomande is 19, Ivorian, and joined this summer. Real Madrid have won every one of the seven matches in which he has started, and he has four goals and three assists in his last six appearances. Mourinho now has a left-sided forward who works back and finishes his chances.
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Spanish reports say Mourinho has already warned Vinicius that nobody at the club is guaranteed a starting place when the suspension ends. The message is a sharp departure from the Brazilian’s status under previous managers.
Bernardo Silva arrives to anchor the new midfield
The attacking fluency has been built around Mbappe, who no longer shares the lead-striker role with anyone, and Bellingham roaming behind him as a 10. Mourinho has drawn on Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva, who joined on a free transfer from Manchester City in June on a two-year deal, and on Spain full-back Marc Cucurella, signed from Chelsea.
Madrid can make it eight in a row at Mestalla tonight, with kick-off against Valencia at 9pm local time.
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