José Mourinho has insisted that Real Madrid must remain focused on their broader objective of winning La Liga following their 2-1 victory over Barcelona at the Camp Nou.
According to BBC Sport on Sunday, the Real Madrid manager made the remarks after Kylian Mbappé scored a late winner to secure a dramatic El Clásico triumph.
Mourinho said, “In my view, Real Madrid do not play to win at the Camp Nou… Real Madrid play to win La Liga. This must be the mentality. We need to continue like this and don’t go over the moon after this win.
“We could win with luck, but we won with calmness and with all merit. It’s a very strong group. Everyone works very hard. Everyone was ready to win.
“The credit goes to the players. When you win, the credit goes to the players. But when you lose, the blame falls on you. And that’s why we see coaches being sacked from their positions every week.”
The Portuguese manager, who returned to Real Madrid this summer, 13 years after his first spell in charge, has now recorded six wins and six defeats in El Clásico matches.
Reflecting on his squad’s performance, Mourinho said, “I’ve learned that I have an extraordinary group, with the quality and mindset to play.
“In midfield, having a mix of talents gives us more than just having two players with similar characteristics. This mix of talents gives us balance when defending and quality when we go on the attack.
“We’ve beaten several teams by four or more goals, but this is Barca, and the players put on a great performance. We need to continue like this and don’t go over the moon after this win.”
However, Mourinho warned that dropping points in their next match would reduce the significance of the victory over Barcelona.
The win cut the gap at the top of the La Liga table to three points.