José Mourinho backs himself ahead of El Clasico vs. Barcelona: ‘Madrid with Mourinho wins trophies’

MADRID — José Mourinho backed himself to deliver at Real Madrid ahead of Sunday’s high-stakes El Clásico with LaLiga leaders Barcelona, insisting that “Madrid with Mourinho wins trophies.”

Madrid are already six points behind Barça in the table — after defeats at Real Betis and Atletico Madrid — but they’ve had a 100% winning record since the international break, with victories over Villarreal, Roma, Sevilla and RB Leipzig.

Mourinho won one LaLiga title, a Copa del Rey and a Spanish Supercopa in his previous, three-year spell at Madrid between 2010 and 2013, although he was unable to land the ultimate prize of the Champions League.

“No,” he said in a news conference on Saturday, when asked if Sunday’s game at Camp Nou was a litmus test for this team’s ability to succeed. “Madrid with Mourinho wins trophies.”

Barcelona have won nine games out of nine in LaLiga so far this season, but were beaten 4-2 by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League in midweek.

Mourinho said that result — coupled with Madrid’s improved performance against Leipzig — was unlikely to affect the Clásico, which he described as a match which makes “the football-loving world come to a standstill.”

“If people thought a week ago that we were going to get thrashed by Barça, they’ll still think the same,” he said. “People speaking highly of Barcelona doesn’t affect me.

“There are moments that deserve praise, because they do some very good things. In our case, we’re being viewed as a finished article… but we’re nowhere near that stage.

“We are far from being the finished article. We’re in the early stages, a phase where the coach is getting to know the squad, analyzing things, and defining our path. It doesn’t seem fair to me to compare a team at this stage of development to one that has been together for two, three years.”

Madrid’s only high-profile absentee is Vinícius Júnior, who is suspended.

For Barça, the focus as ever will be on star winger Lamine Yamal.

“They’re all good players,” Mourinho said, when asked if he had a specific plan for Yamal.

“He’s a great player, and great players deserve respect. But there’s a difference between showing respect and changing your plans, structures, or forgetting your own identity. We won’t do that for him our any other opponent.”