September 8: Mourinho’s Surprise Move at Meazza, Bellingham Drops Back, Alexander-Arnold Moves into Midfield, Real Madrid Win Three Straight

On September 7, 2026, as Real Madrid’s away match against Inter Milan in the first round of the Champions League group stage drew closer, Mourinho’s ideas for adjusting Real Madrid’s midfield lineup had shifted from training-ground experiments into a major topic of outside discussion. Real Madrid won all three of their first La Liga matches, collecting 9 points, scoring 10 goals and conceding 2. Although the start appeared smooth, the midfield combination has never been completely settled. Mourinho is attempting to solve the squad’s midfield depth issue through positional retreats and role restructuring, adding tactical uncertainty to this heavyweight Champions League clash that has been years in the making.

According to the training arrangements revealed so far, Mourinho’s first adjustment plan is to move Bellingham back from his familiar attacking midfield role. Instead of staying fixed behind the striker, he would participate more in central midfield coverage and build-up play, leaving his previous forward-running space to Brahim Diaz.

The core idea behind this adjustment is to use Bellingham’s proven ball-carrying ability this season, reduce unnecessary movements in front of the penalty area, allow him to launch attacks from deeper areas, and fill the defensive coverage gap in central midfield.

In Real Madrid’s first three La Liga matches, their average interceptions in midfield have declined compared with the same period last season. Opponents have repeatedly used through balls through the middle to break the defensive line, and Bellingham’s deeper position is Mourinho’s direct response to this weakness.

In addition, Mourinho has prepared another alternative plan: converting new signing Alexander-Arnold directly from a right-back into a midfielder, forming a three-man midfield with Valverde and Bellingham to balance distribution, running, and late attacking runs in a 4-3-3 system.

Since joining Real Madrid, Alexander-Arnold has mainly played as a right-back. His long passing and crossing ability have already been displayed, but Mourinho clearly hopes to further unlock his passing vision and make him a direct starting point for attacks in midfield areas.

This adjustment also means Carvajal, who was originally in the right-back position, could receive a starting opportunity against Inter, taking on more defensive duties on the flank and leaving midfield space for three players with stronger running ability.

In the last four official meetings between Real Madrid and Inter Milan, Real Madrid have maintained a record of four consecutive wins. The last Champions League meeting between the two sides dates back many years, and both squads and coaching environments have changed completely since then.

In their Champions League group-stage meeting on December 8, 2021, Real Madrid won 2-0 at home. In that match, Real Madrid completely controlled the midfield, and Inter’s counterattacks failed to create enough threat.

However, Inter have already completed a squad update and have maintained a high competitive level after the start of this Serie A season. In their previous 3-2 comeback win over Napoli, Dimarco’s moment of staying on despite injury and providing a key assist showed the resilience of this Serie A side.

According to the latest injury assessment, Dimarco’s recovery from his left knee sprain has not yet reached the level required for a starting role. He is highly likely to miss this Champions League opener, giving Real Madrid more room to operate on the wings.

Mourinho’s familiarity with Inter is the most special variable in this matchup.

When he coached Inter Milan, he led the team to a treble and gained a deeper understanding than ordinary opponents of the club’s tactical traditions, player characteristics, and competitive mentality.

In Real Madrid’s first three La Liga matches, Mourinho has not given the €130 million new signing Diomande a starting opportunity, with only 57 minutes of total playing time. He has not been influenced by the high transfer fee, instead continuing to decide selection based on training form, a principle that has also carried into his Champions League lineup decisions.

Since Real Madrid officially announced Mourinho’s second spell at the club in June 2026, the three strict rules he established have been implemented for nearly three months: all players must arrive at the training ground one hour before training, eat together in the club cafeteria, and complete all rehabilitation procedures internally.

This system directly changed the previous issues of loose dressing-room management and starting lineups being leaked to the media before matches. Over the past two months, training content and starting arrangements have almost never been leaked, which also meant his midfield adjustments prepared for Inter were only gradually revealed one week before the match.

Casillas previously stated publicly that Mourinho’s tactical ideas were outdated and unsuitable for the current Real Madrid, but judging from the actual results in the first three La Liga matches, this approach emphasizing discipline and defensive coverage has indeed noticeably improved the team’s midfield stability.

Real Madrid’s first-team squad has currently completed registration of 24 players eligible for La Liga competition. One remaining registration spot is still open, and the Champions League squad list has also been initially submitted according to UEFA requirements.

The final assessment of Dimarco’s injury will be officially announced by Inter coach Chivu at the pre-match press conference, while Mourinho’s two midfield plans will determine the final starting lineup based on players’ conditions in the final training session before the match.

This Champions League group-stage opener is not only a special match marking Mourinho’s return to Meazza as Real Madrid manager, but also the first test of his new midfield system on the top European stage.

Should the two tactical plans mentioned in the article—Bellingham dropping deeper and Alexander-Arnold moving into midfield—be broken down into a more detailed matchup-based offensive and defensive analysis?