Mourinho’s second act at the Bernabéu — and Barcelona’s flying start
SportPulses Desk··5 min
José Mourinho is back at Real Madrid on a three-year deal, 13 years after leaving. But it is Barcelona, with Raphinha in scoring form, who have set the early pace in La Liga.
José Mourinho has returned to Real Madrid. The Portuguese coach, who won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup during his first spell from 2010 to 2013, signed a three-year contract in June after leaving Benfica, replacing Álvaro Arbeloa.
The early returns have been solid rather than spectacular. Madrid beat Málaga 4–0 at home and sat third after four rounds with nine points, then opened their Champions League campaign by edging Inter 2–1.
The early pace, however, has come from Barcelona. Barcelona won their first four league games — including 5–0 away wins at Elche and Valencia — and Raphinha led the scoring charts with six goals, with Lamine Yamal and Fermín López also among the early scorers.
Madrid’s next European test is a trip to Roma on 14 October, while Barcelona visit Galatasaray the night before. The first league Clásico of the season is already circled on both calendars.