Mourinho Defends Vinicius Junior After Champions League Win

Jose Mourinho steps in to shield Vinicius Junior after the Brazilian was jeered by sections of the Real Madrid support during a wild Champions League win over Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Madrid edged a chaotic night 2-1, with Kylian Mbappe and Federico Valverde on target before Carlos Augusto dragged Inter back into the contest. The scoreline flattered the winners at times. The tension in the stands did not.

Mourinho gets the result he wanted – but not the control

Before kick-off, Mourinho had been blunt: he would happily take an ugly victory over a stylish defeat. Ninety minutes later, he had exactly that.

Speaking to Movistar, the Portuguese coach called it “a crazy match,” and he meant it. Chances flew at both ends, defensive structures bent and buckled, and the game often looked on the verge of breaking apart.

“We are often criticised when the match is boring, and today it was crazy, and it could have ended 7-6 without any problem,” he said, underlining just how open his side had allowed the game to become.

The heart of the problem, in his eyes, lay in midfield. “Our midfield was weak, they made changes very early, and I did not have many options in midfield,” he admitted. Inter seized on that softness, repeatedly slicing through the centre of the pitch and forcing Madrid to retreat deeper than Mourinho would ever like to see.

Courtois shines, but Mourinho demands credit for the collective

Thibaut Courtois again stood tall. The Belgian produced a string of saves that kept Inter at bay as the visitors pushed for an equaliser that never came. The Bernabeu crowd knew who had kept them in front.

Mourinho, though, refused to reduce the win to a one-man rescue act.

“Courtois made many saves, but how many goals did we waste on the counter-attacks? It was a wonderful match,” he said, pointing to the missed opportunities his forwards spurned when Inter were stretched and vulnerable.

He also moved quickly to underline the less glamorous work behind Valverde’s goal, highlighting Madrid’s pressing game and the way it forced errors from Inter’s back line. The Uruguayan’s strike will make the headlines, but Mourinho wanted the running, the closing down, and the collective aggression to be recognised as well.

A firm defence of Vinicius

The loudest message, though, was aimed at those who whistled Vinicius.

The Brazilian forward, still searching for his top level, endured another uneven night and became a target for frustration in the stands. Mourinho would not let that pass without comment.

“He has not yet reached his full readiness, and he is not yet the Vinicius we know, but he works a lot, and whoever works and gives everything he has deserves respect,” he insisted.

No excuses. Just a clear demand: effort must be acknowledged, even when the end product is missing.

Mourinho accepted that Vinicius is short of his best, but he pushed back hard against the impatience swirling around him. For a coach who values commitment above all, the whistles jarred more than any misplaced pass.

Now the forward has his answer to give, not in front of a microphone but with the ball at his feet. Real Madrid turn back to LaLiga, Rayo Vallecano up next, and the question lingers: will the Bernabeu greet Vinicius with whistles again, or with the roar of a crowd ready to see him catch fire?