Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho believed his players left everything on the pitch in the 2-1 loss to Atletico Madrid in the first derby of the season on Sunday.
Real Madrid looked toothless in attack, midfield and defense, and simply had no answer for whatever Atletico were asking them in the second half. Obviously, losing a player would make it difficult for them to defend, but they also found it difficult to attack when they had the extra man.
Despite that, Mourinho was asked about the referee's as well as the team's performance, to which he said: "What our players feel on the pitch is not normal. But I liked my team as a team. Very much in the first half and in the second… obviously very, very, very difficult.
"Very difficult to have the ball, to stop the possession of the ball of a good team and with one more player. But I liked the pride, the determination. And it is a good feeling for me.
"It is not being disappointed with my players, not having anything to reproach them for. Within the negative of the result, it is a positive feeling for me.”
Real Madrid were awful in the first half as well as the second
OK. Let's dive into this. Is Jose Mourinho, one of the most ruthless and honest managers in the history of the sport, actually saying he liked Real Madrid's performance in the first half?
The only part of the game where Real Madrid showed a hint of fight and determination was for a few minutes towards the end of the second half, when Antonio Rudiger halved Atletico's lead.
Apart from that, there was absolutely nothing to show from Real Madrid players in the first half. They dominated the ball for some stretches, but they only managed to create an xG of 0.16. That is not good.
Yes, the referee made two costly mistakes that changed the course of the game in the first half. There is no doubt about the fact that Real Madrid should have been up against nine men in the second half, but they cannot play in an entitled way. Real Madrid needed the goals in the first half to be able to put more pressure on Atletico Madrid in the second. They needed them to open up so that the spaces Atletico would leave behind can be attacked.
Real Madrid did not have a box presence in the entire game. Mbappe and Vinicius Junior were both on the left, and there was no attack that actually deserved a mention. The most memorable chance from Real Madrid was Arda Guler's shot from distance. These things are simply not enough for Real Madrid.
Things need to change. Refereeing decisions are not in your control, and obviously, it would be difficult to play in a match like this, but if Real Madrid had played the way their fans wanted to, they would have been able to walk out of the stadium with their heads high despite the obvious mistakes made by the referee.
We can blame Dean Huijsen. We can blame the referee. However, the fact of the matter is; regardless of what happened with those two, Real Madrid simply were not good enough. Mourinho should be bold enough to realise that. Whether it is to put focus on his rant about the referees, or it was genuine, it does not matter.
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