Jose Mourinho's problems increase after Real Madrid’s draw against Mallorca
As Barcelona won their match against Sporting with a convincing margin of 3-0, pressure mounted on Jose Mourinho and his men to produce a similar result in their match as well. However, things did not go as planned for Real Madrid as they only managed to draw their match against Mallorca.
During La Liga’s opening weekend, three teams from the top four of the previous season, Barcelona, Valencia and Sevilla, achieved easy victories against their opponents. Real Madrid was playing last among all teams, which meant that they were already under pressure to perform. Moreover, due to heavy spending in the last two years, Madrid was expected to do well in order to challenge Barcelona for the top. However, all efforts were in vain as Madrid failed to score in their opening match, resulting in a draw against Mallorca.
Jose Mourinho was furious after failing in his first test as Madrid’s manager. His critics were right, who had suggested that Madrid’s job would be unsuitable for Jose Mourinho. Therefore, he was furious after this result, as he showed his anger in his interaction with the media. Mourinho showed his disappointment, especially Gonzalo Higuain, who missed some easy chances. However, Mourinho was happy with his team’s defence, as they did not let Mallorca score, despite their good reputation at home.
There are a lot of problems that Mourinho faced after this result. Mourinho is well aware of Barcelona’s potential, which meant that he could not afford any slip-ups. However, the Portuguese has already given a lead of two points to Barcelona, which might prove to be the deciding factor at the end of season. Barcelona lost only one match last season, while they might not lose any match in this season, because of their quality and strength. The loss of two points in their first match comes as a major disappointment.
Furthermore, the finishing of Real Madrid’s strikers was abysmal in the match. The first half of the match was not convincing enough for Madrid, as their attacking lacked penetration. However, Madrid’s attacks improved in the second half, but the strikers could not finish the job for their team. Plenty of chances were missed, especially Higuain who failed to convert on many occasions.
Apart from that, the biggest problem facing Mourinho, after the match, would be an injury blow to Cristiano Ronaldo. Although, Ronaldo has shown a lot fitness for Manchester United, however, he seems to be in problems after a surgery last year. Ronaldo got himself injured during the match, due to which he has been ruled out for at least three weeks. A break for European qualifiers has helped Mourinho a little. Due to this, Ronaldo would only miss one fixture in the La Liga and another match in the Champions League. For these matches, Mourinho has enough options available, as Karim Benzema and Mesut Ozil would step up to fill the void.
One of the positives that Mourinho took from this match was that his team performed well in defence. Although defence was Madrid’s weakness, but Sunday proved to be the strongest point in the match. Last season, Madrid struggled in their defence; a problem that seems to be over in this season.
Moreover, Real Madrid showed their ability to attack, as they did not give Mallorca much room to breathe. Things were not going well in the first half, but Madrid’s second half performance made up for the shortcomings. Mourinho needs to work on his team’s finishing skills at the moment. This would, in turn, ensure success for Mourinho in the La Liga.
Barcelona will be pleased with the results on the weekend, as they have a foot forward from the start of the new season. Like last year, Madrid would be chasing Barcelona from the beginning, which means that they would be under added pressure. There is still a long way to go but there will be more surprises for every team as the season progresses.
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