Mourinho Proves His Value As Real Madrid Trim Barcelona Lead

Late Magic Cuts Gap at the Top

Real Madrid fans have Eduardo Camavinga to thank after his late contribution at Camp Nou kept their title hopes alive. Barcelona were on the verge of building an alarming nine point lead at the top of LaLiga after ten matches. Instead, Madrid earned a 2-1 victory and cut the gap to just three points.

It was Barcelona's first home league defeat since May 2023, ending their 19 match winning streak at Camp Nou. The win came in José Mourinho's 13th match of his second spell in charge.

Bench Impact Proves Decisive

Mourinho brought Camavinga on in the 80th minute for Bernardo Silva. Just seven minutes later, the midfielder chased a pass from Arda Güler and set up Kylian Mbappé for the winning goal. It was the 13th time this season that a Madrid substitute produced a goal or an assist.

After the game, Mourinho explained his tactics. He kept Aurélien Tchouaméni in a defensive holding position so Camavinga could run into open space and beat Barcelona's offside trap.

Mourinho said he was happy with his squad options. He noted that many coaches struggle without solutions on the bench, adding that he is fortunate to have a rich squad.

Questions Remain Over Tactical Choices

While the manager received praise for his management against Barcelona, his choices earlier in the season raised questions. Mourinho has failed to use all five allowed substitutions in six of his 13 games this season.

Against Espanyol, he waited until the 80th minute to make key changes before Carlos Espí scored a 90th minute winner. In a 4-3 victory over AS Roma, Mourinho left Espí on the bench until the 78th minute despite losing 3-1. Late substitutes Espí and Endrick scored, while Güler provided two assists to turn the match around.