CORNERFLICK
Real Madrid are enjoying one of their strongest spells of the season under José Mourinho, with the Portuguese manager's tactical adjustments transforming the team into a more balanced and defensively resilient force.
According to Fotbali, Spanish newspaper AS, in a report by journalist Marco Ruiz, has highlighted the tactical changes introduced by Mourinho, identifying possession-based football as one of the key factors behind Real Madrid's renewed defensive solidity.
Los Blancos have won all eight of their last eight matches, combining impressive results with significant improvements in their defensive organisation. Mourinho's side have kept three clean sheets in their last five La Liga fixtures, underlining their growing ability to strike the right balance between attacking efficiency and defensive stability.
One of the clearest examples of this transformation came against Valencia, when Real Madrid recorded a season-high 70% possession and restricted their opponents to just two shots on target against Thibaut Courtois. The Spanish giants went on to secure a convincing 3-0 victory.
Mourinho has reshaped his midfield setup to achieve this level of control, seeking to combine physical strength with technical quality. Deploying Aurélien Tchouaméni alongside Bernardo Silva, while also incorporating Arda Güler into the starting lineup, has allowed Madrid to dictate the tempo of matches more effectively.
A defining feature of Real Madrid's revamped tactical approach is that possession is no longer used solely as a means of creating goalscoring opportunities. Instead, it has become a crucial defensive weapon, helping the team minimise pressure on their back line and limit opposition attacks.
Madrid's players have also demonstrated greater intensity when possession is lost, pressing aggressively to regain the ball and prevent opponents from launching dangerous counterattacks. This coordinated approach has made the team more compact, disciplined and difficult to break down.
Following the victory over Valencia, Mourinho praised his players' performances and attributed the team's progress to their collective effort.
With these tactical adjustments beginning to deliver consistent results, Real Madrid appear to be rediscovering the qualities that have historically defined their most successful sides: attacking threat, defensive resilience and an ability to control matches.
Under Mourinho, Los Blancos are increasingly looking like a formidable winning machine, capable of dominating opponents in possession while remaining exceptionally difficult to penetrate at the back.