Mourinho grabs the popcorn

Real Madrid extend winning streak to eight games and close in on La Liga and Champions League leaders ahead of the international break.

Real Madrid have won eight consecutive matches and are now challenging for the top spot in both La Liga and the Champions League, with manager José Mourinho expressing satisfaction with the team's evolution. After a 3-0 victory at Valencia, Mourinho will watch today's Atlético Madrid vs Barcelona clash from home, joking beforehand that he would prefer both teams to lose.

Mourinho credited the players rather than his own tactical input for the improvement, saying "the credit is for them, I cannot identify anything in my work that is key for them to do this, they are responding as a team in a spectacular way." He added: "There is great evolution, this team smells good to me."

The manager highlighted the team's collective strength, noting how players like Valverde have found their optimal positions, while Güler, Bernardo and Diomande provide defensive support that allows Bellingham to operate more effectively. Mourinho stressed to his squad that winning at Real Madrid is not cause for celebration but simply the norm, as the club aims to maintain momentum through the international break.