Mourinho explains choice of Trent over Dumfries: 'He gave a masterclass'

Mourinho started Alexander-Arnold over Dumfries at right-back against Racing Santander, praising the former Liverpool player's technical quality and performance.

Real Madrid won 3-0 against Racing Santander on Sunday, with José Mourinho choosing Trent Alexander-Arnold over Denzel Dumfries at right-back following Federico Valverde's injury the previous week.

Mourinho explained his selection at the post-match press conference: "We could have started with Trent or Dumfries, but I chose Trent because I thought he could help us better in build-up play with his technical qualities." Alexander-Arnold justified the decision, playing the full 90 minutes. "He was fantastic today. He gave a masterclass," Mourinho said. "He hasn't played in a while, but he comes out like this. That happens when you play in a team with players who trust each other."

Mourinho made only three substitutions, keeping Alexander-Arnold on the pitch while Dumfries remained on the bench. The manager suggested Dumfries may get another chance in Wednesday's Champions League match against AEK Athens, hinting earlier in the week at more playing time for the Dutch international. Valverde's availability for that fixture remains uncertain.