Mourinho Gains Breathing Room After Ending Slump With Makeshift Side; The Master Still Outshines His Former Disciple

After suffering defeat in his second spell's first match at Real Madrid, Mourinho immediately found a way back through a familiar opponent.

The new Champions League season resumed this morning, and in one of the few heavyweight clashes on the opening matchday, Real Madrid, who had just lost to Real Betis in La Liga, defeated Serie A leaders Inter Milan 2-1. In a midfield crisis where everything seemed to be collapsing, Madrid surrendered possession and shots but used the most Mourinho-like approach to end their slump in time.

Admittedly, Real Madrid still have a long list of problems, but what matters is that they have not fallen too far behind a runaway Barcelona in the league, while their dominance in the Champions League remains intact. This seems to be the confidence behind the 'Special One' finding a comeback path in the future.

A dream start, but not an easy win.

Inter Milan will always be an unavoidable name when discussing Mourinho. Compared with Chelsea's complicated relationship of love and hate, the Nerazzurri have always treated Mourinho like a first love. Under the Portuguese coach's guidance, Inter rose from domestic strength to the 2010 treble, with the second 'Great Inter era' nearly being created by Mourinho. The venue for Inter's Champions League final triumph that year was the Bernabeu; current Inter coach Chivu was also one of Mourinho's trusted players.

However, deep connections were not a reason for mercy. Against a full-strength Inter side, Mourinho's opening moves were almost impossible to execute. B. Silva, Camavinga and Guler all watched from the sidelines due to suspensions. With midfield already Real Madrid's weakest area and shortages across the squad, Mourinho had little choice but to use the long-unused Arnold alongside Camavinga, attempting to recreate the popular 'inverted full-back plus single pivot' setup. It was borrowed from former coach Alonso's approach, but Mourinho's pragmatic football dictionary has never cared about such details.

This combination, never used by Real Madrid in the past two seasons, naturally began to show weaknesses as the match progressed. Madrid finished with only 36% possession, their lowest figure in Champions League group-stage and league-phase history since the statistic began. Being hit by 21 shots was their most intense home bombardment since 2004. Yet Madrid created eight clear chances, twice as many as their opponents. Although both goals came from opposition mistakes, this perfectly displayed Mourinho's football philosophy: give Real Madrid no opportunities, otherwise you will be punished.

The first Champions League matchday could be called a nightmare day for goalkeepers. Former Inter goalkeeper Sommer produced a historic missed rush in Brugge, while his successor Josep Martinez was equally costly, losing possession while controlling the ball for the second goal, almost a repeat of Donnarumma's mistake years earlier. The difference was that Valverde's successful steal was sharper than Benzema's at the time. Opta statistics show that since goalkeeper errors leading to goals were tracked in the Champions League from the 2007-08 season, Real Madrid have scored 30 goals from opponents' goalkeeper mistakes, twice Arsenal's total of 15.

The dream start of 'leading immediately after kickoff' did not make Real Madrid's victory straightforward. Instead, for much of the second half, Madrid's passive situation was obvious. Apart from Augusto denying Courtois a clean sheet, a determined 'Little Martin' also made six saves, frustrating Madrid's star-studded attack. Inter coach Chivu also kept his pride after the defeat: 'Inter Milan can leave with their heads held high.'

But so what? Facing Chivu, who started newcomer Andy Diouf and summer signing Curtis Jones, Mourinho used his consistent pragmatism to strongly challenge idealism. With missing starters and limited bench depth, the factors that helped Madrid hold on for three points were not only luck, but also the experience accumulated over more than 20 years in football.

After leading Benfica to defeat Real Madrid last season, Mourinho has now beaten his former club in consecutive Champions League matches, bringing his career total of victories against former teams to eight. In these 'familiar battles,' you can continue trusting the 'Magic Bird.'

Three superstars, but still a scattered puzzle.

Although they achieved the desired opening win, Real Madrid's performance on the pitch did not fully convince observers. Even Mourinho admitted after the match that the victory was fortunate: 'It was a crazy game. The score could have been 5-0, 5-5 or even 7-6. Both teams had many scoring chances and the suspense lasted until the final moment, but the most important thing is that we beat a strong team. When things become difficult, Jose Mourinho steps forward.'

However, observers did not seem to share that view. Paco Gonzalez, host of COPE radio's 'Tiempo de Juego,' questioned it directly: 'My biggest doubt now is whether this approach can work against Bayern or Paris. Those truly strong teams can not only dominate you but also have the ability to kill the game directly. Against Manchester City, they would keep Real Madrid from leaving their own penalty area.'

After two difficult seasons with only one UEFA Super Cup trophy, Real Madrid brought Mourinho back seemingly to restore discipline, but the foundation of strict management is results. At present, compared with a confident Barcelona, Madrid's expensive summer spending has yet to become fully convincing.

When coaching Tottenham, Roma and even Benfica, Mourinho could freely use defensive counterattacking football, but that clearly does not work at Real Madrid. The current approach is a compromise, creating more threats and shots through more possession changes and transitional moments. Yet this aggressive strategy inevitably brings more concerns. Inter's second-half pressure was already a warning sign, and how to distribute star players' roles while keeping everyone satisfied remains a major issue for Mourinho.

As a result, the 'Bellingham-Mbappe-Vinicius coexistence' problem that troubled Ancelotti, Alonso and Arbeloa has shown little sign of improvement. Mbappe has scored frequently from La Liga to the Champions League, but Vinicius, treated more like a supporting player, remains unhappy. He was substituted in this match after moving slowly and triggering a new rule, leaving Madrid temporarily playing with one fewer player. Bellingham, who missed a long period last season through injury, also wasted two chances in front of goal, preventing Madrid from extending their lead and forcing them into a long battle.

In one sentence, today's Real Madrid, like last season, still depends heavily on Mbappe. When he scores, Madrid are close to winning; when he cannot even convert penalties, the Galacticos can only suffer. Against Betis and Inter, Madrid created 15 scoring chances but scored only two goals.

The good news is that Mbappe's Champions League goals have reached 71, matching the legendary Raul. The bad news is that this Real Madrid side still appears far from balance.

Has a less flashy and more understated Mourinho become more dangerous?

Wherever Mourinho goes, there is attention and controversy. At Stamford Bridge, 'The Special One' repeatedly emphasized 'I am the European champion, you have nothing'; even when questioned at Manchester United, he turned 'Respect' into a long-lasting catchphrase; his comments at Tottenham and Roma about an English Premier League runner-up finish being a huge achievement also seemed overly repetitive.

But during these three-plus months at Real Madrid, Mourinho has been unusually quiet. His only truly emotional moment may have come after the defeat to Betis, when he mocked the opponent: 'They originally wanted a draw, and somehow they won.'

After leaving Real Madrid, Mourinho's coaching career visibly declined. Beyond moving to lower opportunities in the Premier League, the reality of once being outside the top five European leagues gradually softened his edges. The iconic Armani coat disappeared, the carefully styled hair was gone, replaced by training clothes and even old-fashioned shirts, along with more gray hair and a weathered beard.

Compared with his visible aging in appearance, Mourinho's greater change is that he is no longer sharp-edged in dealing with people, but instead much more calm and approachable.

In this Champions League match, Vinicius was repeatedly booed by home supporters, while Mourinho publicly showed support by applauding him. Even when the Brazilian was substituted looking discouraged, Mourinho continued leading the applause.

Previously, Mbappe caused controversy when discussing the Ballon d'Or, whether saying 'I score more goals' or 'I vote for myself.' But when reporters subtly asked Mourinho for his opinion, the experienced coach clearly avoided the trap, giving a flawless diplomatic response that placed him on Mbappe's side, with both attitude and wording remaining appropriate.

Of course, this does not mean Mourinho abandoned his principles and became merely a peacemaker. Before Inter scored in the second half, the Real Madrid coach showed dissatisfaction with forwards failing to track back and immediately brought on Tchouameni and Diomande. Actions showed his attitude.

After a smooth start featuring three consecutive wins and a period at the top of the table, Mourinho's first major test is quietly arriving. Facing a better-integrated and more in-form Barcelona, Real Madrid, who carry higher expectations, clearly cannot rely only on results to earn trust and respect. Mourinho faces a more difficult opening challenge than 16 years ago.

During his first spell coaching Real Madrid, Mourinho needed two seasons to end the dominance of 'Dream Team Three.' Now, facing Barcelona's ambition of winning three consecutive La Liga titles, comparisons with Mourinho are inevitable. The current calm may simply be a matter of exchanging time for space.

Source: The Paper special contributor Yang Jian