Mourinho Defends Vinicius Junior After Real Madrid's Chaotic Win
Jose Mourinho has stepped in to shield Vinicius Junior after the Brazilian was jeered by sections of the Real Madrid crowd, despite a chaotic but vital Champions League win over Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid edged a wild contest 2-1. Kylian Mbappe struck first, Federico Valverde added the second, and Carlos Augusto’s reply for Inter kept the tension high until the end. The scoreline flattered neither side. It simply hinted at the madness underneath.
Mourinho gets the win he wanted – but sees the flaws
Before a ball was kicked, Mourinho had been blunt: he would happily take an ugly victory over a stylish defeat. Ninety minutes later, he had exactly that and called what he had just watched “a crazy match.”
Speaking to Movistar, he laid it out in his own way: “I prefer to say it was a crazy match. We are often criticised when the match is boring, and today it was crazy, and it could have ended 7-6 without any problem.”
The spectacle came at a price. Mourinho did not hide where Madrid had suffered.
“Our midfield was weak, they made changes very early, and I did not have many options in midfield,” he admitted, pointing directly at the area where Inter repeatedly punched holes.
Inter’s substitutions gave them fresh legs and fresh ideas. Madrid, short of options in the centre, had to ride waves rather than control them.
Courtois stands tall, but Madrid waste chances
Under that pressure, Thibaut Courtois became a central figure again. Inter kept carving out openings; Courtois kept getting in the way. Even then, Mourinho refused to turn the win into a one-man show.
“Courtois made many saves, but how many goals did we waste on the counter-attacks? It was a wonderful match,” he said.
Madrid had chances to kill the game. They broke at speed, found space, and then let Inter off the hook. The result stayed tight, the nerves stayed frayed.
Valverde’s goal and his off-the-ball work did not go unnoticed either. Mourinho pushed back at any attempt to reduce Madrid’s performance to moments of individual brilliance, insisting that the team’s pressing and collective effort had forced the mistakes that led to their goals.
Mourinho’s message to the Bernabeu: respect Vinicius
The loudest part of his post-match message, though, was reserved for Vinicius Junior.
The forward, still searching for his sharpest form, felt the frustration of some home supporters, who jeered him during and after the game. Mourinho was having none of it.
He acknowledged that Vinicius is not yet at his explosive best but underlined what he sees every day: the work, the running, the commitment.
“He has not yet reached his full readiness, and he is not yet the Vinicius we know, but he works a lot, and whoever works and gives everything he has deserves respect,” Mourinho said.
It was a clear line in the sand. Critique the performance if you must, but respect the effort.
Vinicius now has the chance to answer the whistles the way attackers always prefer: with goals and decisive contributions. Real Madrid turn back to LaLiga next, with Rayo Vallecano waiting and the Bernabeu watching closely to see which version of Vinicius steps onto the pitch.
