Mourinho sees cracks: Valverde and Tchouaméni don’t click with Silva

The Metropolitano derby on Sunday wasn’t just about the result for Real Madrid—it also acted like a practical test for the plan Mourinho wants to run this season. According to MARCA, the coach moved away from the more conciliatory approach he returned with, and on the pitch he started spotting where his top idea isn’t working.

The starting XI template

Real Madrid’s XI was close to last season’s, with only three changes: Dumfries for Carvajal, plus Konaté and Cucurella. The midfield and forward roles, as MARCA frames it, stayed the same—so the continuity also hinted that Mourinho’s initial approach had cracks.

Diomande and Bernardo steer it

In the second half, despite playing with one man down, Mourinho changed the flow. With Diomande and Bernardo Silva brought on, the Madrid side forced Atlético to sit deeper. Rüdiger’s goal—coming off the bench too after Huijsen’s dismissal—was linked in the report to Diomande’s impact from the left: he’s described as the only one who managed to get the better of Giuliano and Marcos Llorente.

Valverde–Tchouaméni, the worry

MARCA’s analysis says the Valverde–Tchouaméni partnership isn’t producing what was expected, especially with Bernardo Silva in the picture. The article also stresses Mourinho keeps Vinícius, Mbappé and Bellingham as “untouchables”, though Vinícius has been the first to be subbed off among them. Güler, meanwhile, has earned minutes too, even if he’s among the early outlets.

For midfield balance, the piece mentions options like Camavinga—back with Zidane’s national team—and Thiago Pitarch, who has trained with the rest of the group since September 6 after recovering from a preseason injury. In short: Mourinho’s tweaks can help, but the midfield control he wants still isn’t consistent, and that’s where further adjustments—especially from the bench—seem to be needed.