Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho praised his squad's immense quality and defensive resilience after a commanding 3-0 victory over Malaga on Sunday at the start of the 2026-27 La Liga campaign.
Goals from Jude Bellingham, an own goal by Alfonso Herrero, and a strike from Kylian Mbappe secured the three points for Los Blancos, pushing them to the top of the league standings.
Related Stories
Get the Latest Automotive & Sports News from Vince's Auto Body Inc
Receive the latest updates on automotive industry, football, basketball, economy, and technology news directly in your inbox. It's free!
SubscribeSpeaking to Real Madrid TV after the match, Mourinho expressed immense satisfaction with his team's blistering first-half display before they managed the pace of the game after the interval.
"We played a very strong first half, from a team that didn't want to waste time and came on to settle the game," said Mourinho, highlighting the tactical discipline shown by his players throughout the match.
Mourinho Defends Team Rotation and Second Half
Jose Mourinho also addressed his decision to make five changes to the starting lineup from the midweek win against Real Sociedad, emphasizing that rotation is necessary due to the high quality across his entire squad.
"I didn't want to blur the team but I wanted to bring in people who have a lot of quality, as much quality as the others," explained the Portuguese tactician regarding his pre-planned lineup adjustments.
The former Chelsea and Inter Milan boss defended his side's lower-tempo performance in the second half, pointing out that total defensive commitment and a clean sheet are just as vital as scoring multiple goals.
"We saw a committed team, who worked defensively, we saw Vinicius chasing his opponent when he lost the ball," Mourinho added, expressing pride in the collective defensive block.