Mourinho keeps Clasico midas touch 13 years on as La Liga heats up

Jose Mourinho has done it again.

The Real Madrid manager celebrated Kylian Mbappe’s late winner at Barcelona on Sunday with a trademark knee slide, as he maintained his midas touch over their bitter rivals.

Mourinho has become just the third Real boss to go six El Clasicos in a row without defeat - 13 years after he last led Los Blancos in this fixture.

Four wins and two draws in his past six matches in charge of Real Madrid against Barcelona puts him up there with Miguel Munoz (1962 to 1965) and Vicente del Bosque (2001 to 2003).

It was also just a second victory in eight games against Barcelona for Real, with the return of Mourinho to the fixture haunting the reigning champions.

And more importantly for Mourinho, Mbappe’s double in Real’s 2-1 win ended Barcelona’s nine-game unbeaten domestic run with a crucial Clasico victory at the Camp Nou.

A Real defeat would have allowed Barcelona to establish a commanding nine-point advantage but the result has transformed the top of La Liga, bringing Mourinho’s side to within three points of their rivals.

“In my view, Real Madrid do not play to win at the Camp Nou, Real Madrid play to win La Liga,” Mourinho said.

“We could win with luck, but we won with calmness and with all merit,” he said. “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 has now won six and lost six El Clasicos across his two stints as manager.

He 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.”

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick said he did not want to give excuses for the defeat but admitted his team lacked fresh legs after a demanding few weeks.

“We missed the freshness,” he said. “It’s not easy for our players. We have to recover well, train well and we have to respond from this defeat.”

“In big games, small things are important and they decide the games and today, it wasn’t on our side.”

“I can see that today we were not fresh and this is what we have to change.”

Real Madrid have now won five consecutive games in all competitions.

End approaching for Carrick but Man Utd fans make clear who they blame

There was an air of inevitability about Michael Carrick’s walk around Old Trafford after the 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth.

It is not unusual for Carrick to applaud the Manchester United fans. If anything, his acknowledgements were not as pronounced as they were in Como after the equally devastating loss.

But after eight games without a win, the worst run since 2015-16 and two horrific defeats in a week, the end is approaching for Carrick, with his bosses in serious talks about his future.

However, if anyone in a senior position at the club thinks the issues at Old Trafford will be solved simply by changing the head coach and, more importantly, the fans will be appeased by a new face in the dugout, the reaction from the stands on an awful day on and off the pitch would have very clearly told them otherwise.

On Friday, as he looked back on that 4-1 loss to Como and ahead to Bournemouth, Carrick said: “We’ll be a different team on Sunday. We have to be a different team on Sunday.”

Sadly, they weren’t.

Carrick could not answer if he will still be in charge for next Saturday’s trip to Chelsea. He does not know.

“The responsibility is mine,” he said. “What else can I say really right now? I totally understand the situation. I’m not expecting anything either way. I love this place and I’ll always do what I feel is going to be the best for the football club.”

United’s fans delivered their own verdict on the performance as Carrick disappeared down the tunnel to the dressing room.

After repeatedly singing the former midfielder’s name, as soon as he was out of view they turned on the players. The booing lasted until the last of them, Diogo Dalot, left the pitch. They simply feel they are either not good enough or don’t care enough, or both.

But there was more, much more.

The game was less than a minute old when the first anti-Glazer and anti-Sir Jim Ratcliffe songs were heard.

The Glazer family have been public enemy number one among the United faithful ever since their leveraged takeover in 2005.

The debt they initially landed on the club has now grown to over £1.15bn, according to their latest accounts. The amount it has cost in interest is £852m, according to respected football finance blogger Swiss Ramble. In the last financial year, the interest payment was £37m, an increase from £34m the previous year.

The argument is, that money could have been used far more productively to sign better players.

There had been hope Ratcliffe, a boyhood United fan, would change that when he struck a deal with the Glazers to become a minority shareholder on Christmas Eve 2023.

Instead, a succession of decisions have led to major questions over his handling of the club.

On the management side, United’s hierarchy eventually backed Erik ten Hag after talking with alternatives in the wake of the shock 2024 FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City, spending over £200m on the likes of Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Manuel Ugarte.

Last week, Ten Hag told the Athletic the club went back on a promise not to sell homegrown Scotland international Scott McTominay to fund Ugarte’s £50m move from Paris St-Germain. They sacked the Dutchman in October 2024.

After that they persuaded Ruben Amorim to leave Sporting mid-season, when he wanted to wait until the summer.

They stuck with him after an unprecedented 15th-place finish, and again after United lost to League Two Grimsby in the EFL Cup, then sacked him in January when he clashed with director of football Jason Wilcox over playing style.

That led to Carrick’s arrival to the end of the season, which turned into a permanent appointment after he guided the club back into the Champions League after a two-year absence.

A third dismissal in three seasons would not reflect well on anyone.

The ‘Standards’ banner that was held up on the Stretford End showing the images of legendary skippers Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona and Roy Keane was there to remind the executives running the club of the history they should be aspiring to.

Wilcox has largely operated behind the scenes but he could not fail to hear the obscenities being sung against him during today’s game, nor the boos as he climbed into the vehicle taking him away from the stadium nearly two hours after the final whistle.

Recruited from a similar role at Southampton following the Ratcliffe takeover and elevated in status following the dismissal of Dan Ashworth, amid the decision to recruit Amorim, the 55-year-old is blamed by many fans for the club’s recent recruitment, even though the budget was set at a much higher level.

Sat next to him at Old Trafford to watch the Bournemouth debacle unfold was chief executive Omar Berrada, who worked with Wilcox at Manchester City.

Having senior figures steeped in City’s recent history was always a potential problem if results didn’t go well. Berrada played no part in the recent Premier League proceedings that found City guilty of multiple breaches of financial rules, but the link is clear, and United’s fans sang about that at Old Trafford as well.

If that wasn’t enough, a ticket touting investigation launched in the summer led to condemnation from all United’s major fan groups. The club argued they were trying to catch touts, while fans felt it was an attempt to drive regular match-goers out in favour of more corporate sales. The club are adamant that is not the case, but the argument is falling on deaf ears.

The same is also true of plans for a new 100,000-capacity stadium. The club conducted a survey which they said showed the majority of respondents were in favour of a new ground. The stadium is likely to cost in excess of £2bn and United spent £63.5m on land for it earlier this year.

Some supporters simply don’t believe those figures. The Stretford End impolitely told Ratcliffe they had no interest in a new stadium as well today.

Carrick may take responsibility for poor results but there is far more than that causing unrest at Manchester United just now.

Isak finally living up to price tag as Liverpool patience rewarded

It has been a long time coming but Alexander Isak might finally be living up to his price tag.

The Sweden striker arrived at Anfield amid huge fanfare in August 2025 when he signed from Newcastle for a British record £125m.

But a combination of a slow start and then suffering a broken leg in December meant his first season at the Reds became something of a nightmare - scoring just four goals in 22 games.

This season has been a different story. Isak’s goal against Brighton on Sunday helped Liverpool to an impressive 2-0 win against the Premier League’s in-form side, taking his tally to six for the campaign already.

The 27-year-old is averaging almost a goal per game and has scored more than half of Liverpool’s Premier League goals this season.

Like last weekend at Brentford, Isak didn’t necessarily set the game alight, but again it was another crucial goal from the Swede. His strike gave Liverpool breathing space against a Brighton team that had 64% possession and actually ended the game with a higher xG than Andoni Iraola’s side.

In the end, Liverpool saw the game out and this was arguably their finest display in the league under Iraola, who secured his first league win at Anfield at the fourth time of asking.

Only Erling Haaland (nine) has scored more Premier League goals this season than Isak and when Liverpool signed him from Newcastle these were the numbers they expected.

During Isak’s struggles in an injury-plagued campaign in 2025-26, the belief inside the club was that this was a long-term signing and any judgement would be reserved for when he was fully fit. Judging by recent performances, that patience is proving to be warranted.

“Today, the performance was really good against a really good team,” Isak said.

“The first half is really what we want to be about - winning balls and the intensity.”

The exciting thing for Iraola and Liverpool is that Isak is nowhere near his best yet, and that should be a cause of worry for the rest of the top flight. It is Arsenal next up in the league.

“Alex [Isak] is threatening, especially if we can get him in those positions and we can provide him good crosses. In this case, it’s a matter of Bradley [Barcola] winning the duel and being faster than the opposition to get us in that position,” said Iraola.

Isak is averaging 0.95 goals per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season.

For Iraola, this was a fourth win in a row since the loss to Manchester City at Anfield a fortnight ago.

The fans who braved the conditions after Storm Boelo were treated to a display where Liverpool were aggressive from the outset and defended really well to keep a Brighton side that scored 15 league goals in their previous four games at bay.

Bar an early chance for Yasin Ayari, which the Swede blazed over, Fabian Hurzeler’s side didn’t have any major chances of note.

Ronald Araujo was again immense and the Liverpool backline kept their fourth clean sheet in eight league games this season.

Interestingly, Liverpool’s possession of 35.6% was their second lowest on record (since 2003-04) in a Premier League home win.

Iraola’s Bournemouth side certainly preferred to have less of the ball and this was a reminder that, with the quality at his disposal going forward, Liverpool are perhaps fine with teams coming to Anfield and having more of the ball, especially if it means the opposition aren’t set up in a low block.

Both Florian Wirtz and Barcola were excellent and Cody Gakpo threatened all afternoon too, with Wirtz unlucky not to be credited for the goal when his strike took a deflection off Pascal Gross and gave Liverpool the lead.

Slowly but surely, his confidence is increasing in a Liverpool shirt and it is clear to see the impact he has on a game.

The German just needs the numbers to improve on his end and Liverpool will hope that he isn’t set for a spell on the sidelines after he was substituted in the second half.

“Unfortunately, he had to leave the pitch with a small twist of the ankle,” said Iraola. “It doesn’t look very big but we are playing every three days so we need to see where he is.”

As for Barcola, there is a style to his play that can energise a crowd and the way he won possession for Isak’s goal felt like it ticked off exactly what Iraola wanted with the high press and sheer desire to win the ball back.

That left Isak to finish instinctively and Barcola imitated Isak’s celebration, just like they did last weekend in west London, as Liverpool moved up to fourth.

Theirs is a combination that cost the Reds a total of £248m but if they can keep on combining and winning games, that will do just fine for Iraola and Liverpool.

'This is the only Clasico' - Mourinho's Real trying to stop Barca's shot at history

Barcelona stand on the brink of La Liga history, targeting a 10th consecutive victory to start the league season.

It will surpass the mark set in 1968-69 by Real Madrid, who will have the chance to end that remarkable run on Sunday when the sides meet at Camp Nou.

Barcelona head into Sunday’s El Clasico (20:00 GMT) on the back of a 4-2 Champions League defeat by Paris St-Germain, giving Jose Mourinho’s men the perfect opportunity to capitalise on that setback and wreck the record bid of their rivals.

Real boss Mourinho has insisted his team’s most recent performances, two 4-1 victories against Sevilla and RB Leipzig, would count for little in a fixture that has such global appeal and standing.

“We are in a good dynamic, we play well, we score goals, but the Clasico is different. What we have done before has no influence,” he said.

“There are other important matches in the world, but this is the only Clasico, the world stops.”

Some of football’s biggest names with be involved, with six of this year’s 30 Ballon d’Or nominees available - Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi, Rodri and Lamine Yamal, and Real Madrid trio Marc Cucurella, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe.

There will be huge individual battles between them on the pitch too.

Cucurella could find himself trying to stop national team-mate Lamine Yamal down Barcelona’s right, while centre-back Cubarsi could once again face Mbappe, renewing their rivalry after Spain’s 2-0 victory over France in the World Cup semi-final.

Striker Mbappe, though, has been in prolific form for Real, scoring 12 goals in 12 appearances this season.

In midfield, Rodri and Bellingham could provide another fascinating clash between two of the game’s leading players.

With a six-point gap to leaders Barcelona, Mourinho acknowledged his third-placed side were still adapting to his methods and argued comparisons with more established teams were premature.

“We’ve been together for three months if you take away pre-season and international breaks,” he said.

“The players are still getting to know me and the way I do things.”

He also dismissed the idea of making sweeping tactical changes specifically to contain Lamine Yamal.

“He’s a great player, we respect great players. We aren’t going to completely change things. We won’t forget the way we do things,” said Mourinho.

“Madrid with Mourinho wins trophies.”

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick believed his side were ready for the challenge of Real, but admitted they must address defensive weaknesses exposed by PSG in midweek.

“The players have recovered and they’re ready for this game,” he said at his pre-match media conference.

“El Clasico is different, the best match our sport has to offer. Everyone will be watching. You can only win three points, but it’s so much more than that.”

The German praised Madrid’s attacking quality and warned Barcelona could not afford to be complacent.

“I expect a very confident team,” he added. “Real Madrid is a great club with great players and a great coach. They have players with great quality in the final third. They’ve shown that in recent matches. We have to be careful and prepared.”

Flick stressed the importance of positioning and organisation as they prepare to contain Mbappe, although Vinicius Jr will be missing for the visitors through suspension.

“Our positioning is key, both with and without the ball,” he said.

“Without the ball, we need to maintain the right distances between players and stay compact, which is especially important when playing with such a high defensive line.”

Barcelona’s attack, though, has been prolific this season, scoring 50 goals in their 12 games, but questions remain over their defensive solidity, with the Spanish champions having conceded 15.

Madrid’s best chance of success could lie in disrupting Barcelona’s possession and exploiting the spaces behind when their opponents commit players forward.

A compact defensive shape, disciplined pressing and quick transitions could force Barcelona away from their preferred rhythm. Rather than chasing possession, Madrid must remain organised and choose the right moments to attack.

Lamine Yamal will be central to Barcelona’s attacking plans, while Madrid will look to use their pace and quality in the final third to test the home defence.

The midfield battle will also be crucial. If Madrid can win second balls and prevent Barcelona from finding space between the lines, they can reduce the pressure on their defence.

However, defensive discipline alone may not be enough. Madrid must take their chances when they arrive, particularly if Barcelona dominate possession.

Set-pieces could provide another route to goal and Flick specifically identified them as a threat.

“We know Real Madrid’s strengths, and they’re among the best at set-pieces,” he said. “We have to defend better than we did in Paris.”

For Barcelona, victory would not only set a record, but strengthen their position as clear early-season title favourites, opening up a nine-point lead over Real Madrid.

For Mourinho’s men, halting that run would reduce the deficit to three points and deliver a major psychological boost to revive their hopes of domestic success this season.

Fylde sign keeper Pickford on loan from Everton

AFC Fylde have signed goalkeeper George Pickford on a short-term loan deal from Everton.

The 19-year-old has featured for Everton’s U-18 and U-21 sides and appeared for Southport on loan during the second half of last season.