Jose Mourinho Unhappy Despite Real Madrid Victory Over Elche
Real Madrid secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Elche in La Liga on Wednesday, but Jose Mourinho was far from satisfied with his team’s performance at the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero.
Los Blancos appeared to be in complete control after taking a two-goal lead into half-time. A Matias Dituro own goal and a strike from Kylian Mbappe put Madrid in a commanding position before the visitors’ intensity dropped significantly after the interval.
Elche took advantage of the change in tempo and fought their way back into the contest. Abiel Osorio pulled one goal back before Fer Nino completed the comeback by making it 2-2.
Madrid ultimately escaped with all three points when Carlos Espi scored late in the game to restore their advantage and secure a dramatic victory for Mourinho’s side. Despite the result, Mourinho was unhappy with the way his players allowed the match to become unnecessarily difficult.
The Portuguese coach felt Madrid had the opportunity to put the game beyond Elche after establishing a two-goal advantage, only to give the hosts space and belief.
“After the first half, there was a feeling that we could score a third, fourth and fifth goal. But we lowered the tempo and gave the opposition too much space,” Mourinho said, as quoted by Marca.
“I felt that we underestimated the game and brought a team that was dead back to life. They thought the match was over, but it wasn’t.”
Mourinho also discussed his late substitutions, explaining that he wanted to make use of the depth and young talent available to him. The decision involved an element of risk as Madrid attempted to regain control of the game. That gamble eventually paid off when Espi found the net late in the contest to rescue the three points.
“We played very well towards the end. The players were united, enthusiastic and committed,” Mourinho added.
“My only criticism is that we didn’t finish the game when we had the chance and allowed the opposition to create opportunities in the second half.”
The victory keeps Real Madrid moving forward in La Liga, but Mourinho’s comments underline the standards he expects from his squad. Madrid demonstrated their attacking quality by scoring three times, but their second-half collapse exposed weaknesses that Mourinho will want addressed before the team’s next fixture.
For Elche, the defeat will be frustrating given the way they recovered from two goals down and pushed Madrid to the limit. For Mourinho, meanwhile, the late victory provided the result he wanted, but not necessarily the performance.
