Madrid's anguishing passage through Rome removed the pages of José Mourinho's notebook. In times of doubts, uncertainties and nervousness, with the Camp Nou classic seven days away and six points behind Barcelona, the coach clung to the players and the plan that had been pulled out of the mud on Wednesday at the Olympic Stadium against Sevilla. Whether this Sunday's line-up has continuity, even in appointments as tricky as next Sunday's one with the Blaugranas, is a question that remains definitively open, but the Portuguese's decisions were very important and affected the team's central system. What appeared in the last two duels, against Villarreal and Roma, was confirmed against Sevilla. An eleven that, in the absence of further travel, offered more balance and glue between the lines.
On matchday nine of the League, Mou made several decisions that he said he would not make. He assured at the beginning of the season, and that was very recently, that Federico Valverde would play in the center of the field, as the Uruguayan likes, and not at right back. But the two recent matches, with Madrid sweating blood to survive their hardships, were finished (and won) on that shore. The white coach pointed out after the duel with Villarreal a week ago that this movement had been something very specific to that night, however, three days later he repeated the operation in Rome when he had to come back. And yesterday, directly, he lined him up on that flank. The two right backs signed in the last two summers remained on the bench: Trent Alexander-Arnold and Denzel Dumfries (20 million). A circumstance that also points to sports planning.
Something similar happened with Arda Güler, who he warned before the national team break that he did not see him yet ready for the midfield position, but that's where he ended up against Villarreal, Roma and against Sevilla he started right in that position, next to Tchouameni. Goodbye, then, to the cement production plant of the Frenchman and Valverde who in Rome were not able together, once again, to impose a game plan. The Turk, in addition to trying to organize the release of the ball and offer more passing lines in creation, scored a great goal at 1-0, a sensational right hand from the edge of the box. The amphitheater bid him farewell with a standing ovation.
Mourinho had not said much about Endrick, but until Wednesday the statistics spoke for him. The young Brazilian had barely played four minutes this season, which, yes, started injured. His decisive intervention in the Olympic yesterday elevated him to the starting position on the right wing.
Yan Diomande appeared on the left, replacing the suspended Vinicius, who started his four League games out of circulation. A huge window has opened for the Ivorian in these times of Vini's tribulations. He fired Sevilla with a final shot, connected with Mbappé so that he scratched the penalty for the third white goal, and left a good assortment of dribbles, some, however, poorly resolved later when it came to connecting with his teammates or shooting at goal, as on the occasion he had after the break.
While Mourinho searches and searches, a club war runs in parallel at the expense of the referees. The entertainment crowd, created and directed, sang against the Spanish Federation and the president of LaLiga, Javier Tebas, who compared the entity's television methods with those of the Nazi regime. The Sevilla coach, Luis García Plaza, complained that Güler did not see the red for slapping Peque. “They haven't let us play an 11 vs. 10 game for 65 minutes,” he said. “I haven't seen any clear image,” responded Mourinho, who did protest the Betis-Barcelona refereeing.
