Mourinho, spiritual leader as in his first spell

Mourinho has found his tactical formula after the 2-1 Clásico win, deploying Güler and Bernardo Silva together to unlock Real Madrid's attacking play.

José Mourinho arrived at Barcelona under pressure after Real Madrid's defeats to Betis and Atlético Madrid, facing the prospect of falling nine points behind Barcelona if he lost. Instead, his side delivered a 2-1 victory at Camp Nou that vindicated his recent tactical shift.

The turning point came on 14 October in Rome, when Real Madrid came from 3-1 down to beat Atalanta 4-3 in the Champions League. That night, Mourinho paired Arda Güler and Bernardo Silva in attack, and the combination clicked. Since then, Real Madrid have won convincingly: 4-1 against Sevilla, 4-1 against RB Leipzig, and now the Clásico victory.

Mourinho has shown tactical flexibility, adapting to what his squad demanded rather than stubbornly sticking to his original double-pivot system with Tchouaméni and Valverde. The Portuguese coach's willingness to evolve, combined with his unifying rhetoric about common enemies and Madrid solidarity, has recreated the atmosphere of his first spell at the club—where he was seen as a spiritual leader as much as a manager. On his return to Valdebebas on Monday morning, he was greeted by around fifty supporters who view him as Real Madrid's true star.