After El Clásico: Flick says two defeats are too many as Mourinho sets Real Madrid’s sights on the title

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick admitted his side were short of energy and called back-to-back defeats too many after the 1-2 loss to Real Madrid at Camp Nou in round 10 of La Liga on 25 October. José Mourinho, by contrast, told his players the win only matters if it leads to the title, while Real wait to learn the extent of Federico Valverde’s thigh problem and celebrate a record-setting night for stand-in goalkeeper Andriy Lunin.

Barcelona: disappointed, not panicking

According to Tuổi Trẻ, Flick said this was a second straight defeat, after the Champions League loss to PSG, and that the team were deeply disappointed. Barcelona played better after equalising at 1-1, he said, but lacked freshness against a very good opponent, and two defeats were too many for him and for Barcelona fans, especially in a clásico. He mentioned long trips to Seville and Paris but refused to use the schedule as an excuse, said the players would be given rest, and asked them to make the right choices on diet, sleep and recovery. He also insisted the result would not create doubts inside the squad.

Injuries remain a worry at the back. Tuổi Trẻ reported that Flick is open to promoting La Masia youngsters and is waiting on the returns of Andreas Christensen, Jules Koundé and Eric García. The Guardian noted that Xavi Espart was forced off during the game, yet another defensive injury, putting the failure to sign a centre-back in the spotlight again.

Real: eyes on the title

Mourinho was in no mood to celebrate for long. According to a Thể thao & Văn hóa report carried by Bongda24h, he said Real did not go to Camp Nou just to win a game but to win the league. He also framed the gap in psychological terms. “If you leave here nine points behind, it’s very heavy psychologically; if it’s six, it’s more balanced; if it’s three, that’s different,” he said, as reported by The Guardian. Real have now won five in a row in all competitions.

Sid Lowe’s analysis in The Guardian argued that the result confirmed a shift in Mourinho’s team: Valverde moved to right-back instead of partnering Aurélien Tchouaméni in midfield, Arda Güler and Yan Diomandé came into the side, and Vinícius Júnior did not play. Real have won every game since Vinícius was suspended. “I’m not stubborn; I can change,” Mourinho said, adding that he had learned a mixture of qualities in midfield works better than two similar players. Counting his old clásicos, it was his sixth straight meeting with Barcelona without defeat. Diomandé, 19 and playing his first clásico, had more touches than any Madrid player.

Valverde waits, Lunin makes history

Thể thao & Văn hóa, via Bongda24h, reported that Valverde felt a problem at the back of his right thigh midway through the first half, was checked on the pitch after Kylian Mbappé’s opener and played on at right-back until Mourinho replaced him with Denzel Dumfries on 62 minutes, after Raphinha’s equaliser. There is no detail yet on how serious it is; his availability depends on medical tests. Valverde himself said the win “will give us a kickstart”, according to The Guardian.

Lunin started because Thibaut Courtois had flu. “We have the best goalkeeper in the world, but none of us cried because Thibaut couldn’t play,” Mourinho said, as reported by The Guardian, recalling that he told Lunin: “You train to play, not to sit on the bench, so go on.” SGGP said it was the 27-year-old’s first official appearance of the season, and his 66th-minute save from Gerard Martín’s header kept the score level. Asked to explain Real’s performance, Lunin went for “discipline and attitude”, The Guardian reported.

SGGP added that Lunin is the first goalkeeper to win at least four of his first five clásicos:

La Liga top five after round 10

The tables published by Bongda24h and The Guardian agree on the top five:

What’s next

Mourinho has already pointed to Real’s trip to Racing Santander’s El Sardinero: “I won’t let them have their heads on the moon; if we win this and then don’t win at the Sardinero, it won’t mean much,” he said, according to The Guardian. Before that, Real await the verdict on Valverde, while Barcelona rest their players and hope to get injured defenders back. Read our preview of the game: Barcelona – Real Madrid: Rodri and Gordon await their first El Clásico.