Live coverage and text updates from our commentary stream as Mbappe and Bellingham lead the line for Mourinho’s side.
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Jose Mourinho said he had faith in Uruguayan international Federico Valverde as a midfielder, despite previous coaches using him in a variety of roles, including right-back and right winger.
Los Blancos started with Bernardo Silva and Federico Valverde together in midfield for their season-opening win at Espanyol and the pair are likely to continue with French defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni not ready to play against Sociedad.
“For me [Valverde] is a player for the centre of the pitch,” added Mourinho.
“Depending on the opponent and our objectives, he might be more set in his position or more mobile.”
Mourinho said that in modern football, players’ positions were less relevant.
“I don’t want to identify Tchouameni as the number 6, Eduardo Camavinga number 6, Valverde number 8, Silva number 10 … things dilute during games.”
Matarazzo’s side played in a 4-2-3-1 against Real Betis and largely kept that shape throughout the 90 minutes – but there’s a good chance they’ll be forced to play slightly deeper at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Takefusa Kubo will stretch the pitch when he can and hug the right touchline, whilst Job Ochieng on the left flank has pace to burn which could be handy if Madrid’s Dumfries is flying up the pitch.
Oyarzabal also loves to drop deep, meaning Sucic could be the player to make runs in behind the Real Madrid backline.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho says he is “very happy” with his squad, which he considers complete despite missing out on midfielder Rodri, later signed by rivals Barcelona.
With midfield maestros Toni Kroos and Luka Modric departing in 2024 and 2025 respectively, Madrid have struggled to control matches.
Despite the arrival of six summer transfers, including record arrival Yan Diomande, Bernardo Silva and Marc Cucurella, Madrid’s approach for Rodri broke down, meaning that, beyond former Man City playmaker Silva, they have not strengthened in midfield.
“For me the squad is closed, but the market is still open – you never know if a player will come and say ‘I’ve been benched twice and I want to leave,'” Mourinho told reporters on Tuesday.
“In theory, no [more deals]… but something could always happen… In my head, the squad is closed, and I have not asked for anyone. I am very happy with the players I have.”
Mourinho says after a series of spats that it’s harder to help Vinicius when it comes to the in-game incidents but when it’s about his relationship with the opposing fans, then “it’s something that we can work on.”
Last year, Mourinho was criticised for attacking Vinicius’s character after the player accused an opponent of racially insulting him during a Champions League match against Benfica. Mourinho, who was the coach in charge of Benfica at the time, suggested that the Brazil forward incited opposing players with his celebrations after scoring.
“When I was Benfica’s coach, I was only interested about Benfica,” Mourinho said.
The veteran Portuguese coach said the difference in the treatment on the field towards Vinicius and towards other players has become obvious.
“It’s gone into a spiral in which the opponents know what they can do and what they can’t do,” he said. “If the players can provoke and pressure Vini, either physically or with words, if the yellow card is only shown after 10 fouls, if there can be violence, then it’s a type of treatment that I don’t like.”
Manchester United have signed Cameroon midfielder Carlos Baleba from fellow English Premier League club Brighton.
The 22-year-old is the third midfielder signed by the Red Devils during the summer transfer window.
“Manchester United is pleased to confirm that Carlos Baleba has joined the club, subject to registration,” the 20-time Premier League champions said in a statement on Tuesday.
United said Baleba signed a deal until 2031 with the option to extend for a further year, but it did not disclose the value.
It is understood that Brighton had been holding out for a deal worth $100m although United are believed to have agreed a 70-million-pound ($95m) transfer fee, which takes their spending on midfield reinforcements to more than 150 million pounds ($204m) in this window.
Baleba was born in Douala, Cameroon, but started his professional career in 2022 with French Ligue 1 side Lille. The next year, he joined Brighton, where he made 79 starts and registered more than 100 appearances for the Seagulls.
United had been linked with a move for Baleba, who plays in a defensive role in midfield, last summer and again in the January transfer window.
Baleba, who follows fellow midfielders Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos to Old Trafford this summer, has made 16 appearances for Cameroon.
Real Madrid lined up in a 4-2-3-1 against Espanyol on Saturday and, given they’ve stuck with the same team tonight, I’d expect them to play in a similar fashion.
Arda Guler was deployed on the right but often interchanged with Bernardo Silva, which saw both players have plenty of the ball while Bellingham operated in the number 10 role and looked to crash the box as often as he could.
Watch out for Dumfries flying down the right side as Guler looks to cut inside more and more.
Real Sociedad boss Pellegrino Matarazzo has made four changes to his side for tonight’s clash, with Spain star Mikel Oyarzabal returning to the starting lineup.
In come Beitia (CB), Turrientes (CM), Ochieng (LW) and captain Oyarzabal (ST).
Out go Zubeldia (CB), Soler (CM), Barrenetxea (LW) and Oskarsson (ST).
Mourinho’s first game back in La Liga in 13 years ended in victory as Real Madrid defeated Espanyol 2-1 on Saturday night.
As such, Mourinho has stuck with the same side that nabbed the three points at RCDE Stadium as they prepare to face a Real Sociedad side who lost their season opener 1-0 to Real Betis.
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With the European league season upon us, Al Jazeera looks at which players need to shine brightest if their clubs are to succeed this season.
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Former Real defender Alvaro Odriozola is back with the club where he began his career, but will miss the match due to a long-term knee injury.
Pablo Marin (muscle), Jon Gorrotxategi (muscle) and Goncalo Guedes (muscle) all face late fitness tests.
Spanish World Cup winner Mikel Oyarzabal started on the bench against Betis, but the striker is expected to lead the line against Madrid.
Remiro; Aramburu, Zubeldia, Martin, Gomez; Herrera, Soler; Kubo, Sucic, Barrenetxea; Oyarzabal
Eder Militao (muscle), Rodrygo (knee), Raul Asencio (thigh) and Ferland Mendy (hip) all remain sidelined for Real.
Endrick (muscle), Thiago Pitarch (knee) and Aurelien Tchouameni (muscle) are doubts and could also miss out.
Jude Bellingham is expected to play despite nursing his ankle with an ice pack after being substituted in the win at Espanyol.
Courtois; Dumfries, Konate, Huijsen, Cucurella; Bernardo, Valverde; Guler, Bellingham, Vinicius; Mbappe
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Back in charge of Madrid 13 years after leaving, the Portuguese veteran must bring the dressing room under control after the chaos of last season – and prevent Barcelona from securing a La Liga threepeat.
Mourinho started the match at Espanyol with superstars Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Bellingham as well as handing debuts to Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries and Ibrahima Konate.
Bellingham had an excellent first season at Madrid after arriving from Borussia Dortmund, but the subsequent two were disappointing, both for him and the club, who failed to win a major trophy in either.
Mourinho installed him in attacking midfield with a licence to roam, and the England international was heavily involved before his goal against Espanyol, which came via a header from Arda Guler’s dangerous crossed free kick.
Mbappe got in behind on the right of the area in the early stages only to be denied by the keeper, and the French forward, La Liga’s top scorer in both of his two seasons at the club, was far from his lethal best.
On the left flank, Vinicius had little impact beyond winning a series of fouls from Espanyol players who were determined to shut him down by any means.
Real Sociedad have also only played one game this season, with the La Liga start staggered to help clubs heavily affected by World Cup call-ups earlier this year.
The match at Real Betis resulted in a 1-0 reverse, though, with Rodrigo Riquelme’s tidy volley from Cucho Hernandez’s cross settling an otherwise tight and even game.
Betis finished fifth in the table last season, and Sociedad’s two away games to begin the campaign mark a tough start, especially given they won only three of their 19 league games on the road in the previous campaign.
Jose Mourinho’s second spell in charge of Los Blancos began with a last-gasp 2-1 victory at Espanyol in La Liga on Saturday
Real needed substitute Carlos Espi to pounce in the 90th minute to grab the winner after Jude Bellingham opened the scoring in Los Blancos’ opening fixture of the season, before Alex Calatrava levelled for the home side in Barcelona.
“I think that we deserved to win, but that Espanyol didn’t deserve to lose,” Mourinho told reporters.
“They didn’t have any players at the World Cup and have been working together for a long time, and you could see that.”
On top of the big-name starters, Mourinho sent on two more new arrivals in the form of record signing Yan Diomande and Marc Cucurella; however, it was only Espi’s strike – from a loose ball in the box – that saved the day.
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