Real Madrid manager José Mourinho has urged his players to remain focused on their La Liga ambitions following their 2-1 victory over Barcelona at Camp Nou.
According to BBC Sport on Sunday, Mourinho spoke after Kylian Mbappé’s late goal sealed a dramatic Clásico win, stressing that the club’s priority was winning the league rather than celebrating an individual victory.
“In my view, Real Madrid do not play to win at the Camp Nou… Real Madrid play to win La Liga. This must be the mentality. We need to continue like this and don’t go over the moon after this win.
“We could win with luck, but we won with calmness and with all merit. It’s a very strong group. Everyone works very hard. Everyone was ready to win.
“The credit goes to the players. When you win, the credit goes to the players. But when you lose, the blame falls on you. And that’s why we see coaches being sacked from their positions every week.”
The Portuguese tactician, who returned to Real Madrid this summer, 13 years after his first spell at the club, has now recorded six wins and six defeats in El Clásico encounters.
Reflecting on his team’s performance, Mourinho said, “I’ve learned that I have an extraordinary group, with the quality and mindset to play.
“In midfield, having a mix of talents gives us more than just having two players with similar characteristics. This mix of talents gives us balance when defending and quality when we go on the attack.
“We’ve beaten several teams by four or more goals, but this is Barca, and the players put on a great performance. We need to continue like this and don’t go over the moon after this win.”
Mourinho also cautioned that a poor performance in their next fixture could undermine the significance of the victory.
The result moved Real Madrid to within three points of Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table.
