Dean Huijsen is Real Madrid’s best CB for me. His passing changes where the midfield can receive, while his defensive work gets reduced to the mistakes. In La Liga, he leads Madrid CBs for completed passes per 90 (69), passing accuracy (96.6%) & interceptions per 90 (1.7). He’s won 65% of his duels & been dribbled past once across 592 minutes . Against Sevilla, his 19 progressive passes led the match. Against Leipzig: 97/102 passes, 19 line-breaking passes, 12 into the final third & 7 interceptions. The value is getting Madrid beyond the first pressure and that is key. His decision-making still needs work. But the ability to progress possession & step in to intercept give Real Madrid a much needed boost.

Jude Bellingham needs freedom in this #ElClásico . Drop to help Madrid escape pressure, drift to combine, arrive in the box when Mbappé moves. This was my biggest caveat w/ him not resting either Sevilla or Leipzig games. But the bigger issue is what happens around those movements. Jude drops? Someone has to occupy the space he leaves. He carries through midfield? Give him a pass to release it. Madrid need to exploit his movement instead of waiting for him to solve the next action. Don’t put too much on his plate. Mourinho has to create a cohesive approach where Jude Bellingham isn’t forced into 12-15 isolated duels v their pivot.

For this #ElClásico , Camavinga should start alongside Arda. The midfield that can shift across, support the ball & move forward together. Konaté holding his position & Dumfries tracking the far post makes me more comfortable without a fixed anchor. The trade-off is losing Tchouaméni’s protection centrally, but Fede narrowing from the right gives Arda another option & Camavinga less ground to cover alone.

My biggest concern for #ElClásico is distance between the press & the defensive line. Madrid can push defenders high without disrupting the player making the pass. Leipzig exposed that time & time again. Against Barça, the first escape can leave the entire midfield chasing towards its own goal. Courtois cannot keep being the solution to a structural problem. If Jude & Arda jump, everyone behind them has to move with them. And Mbappé cannot be a negative on that side of the ball. Cant be playing with 10.

I expect Mourinho to keep Valverde & Arda together, with Dumfries at RB, but the midfield selection will tell us how much football Madrid intend to play. Sevilla + Leipzig games should serve as lesson to Roma/Inter/Derbi Madrileño mistakes. My XI would be Courtois; Dumfries, Konaté, Huijsen, Carreras; Camavinga, Valverde, Arda; Bellingham; Diomandé & Mbappé. A 4-4-2 that narrows on the right (Arda + Fede) with Dumfries pushing behind pressing line and Diomandé stretching with Álvaro Carreras as LB who comes on the inside. #ElClásico

Bronny + draft capital @Lakers Re-unite father & son. Give VJ to Luka.

I don’t think people realise how impressive this truly is. Only 7 yellow cards. He’s a master of his craft. That’s for sure.

El Clásico weekend? Enjoy best midfielder in the world relentlessly bullying Rodri. Another one to add on the catalogue this weekend.

Right now it’s do or die. My se life is on the line and I will not flee. My spirit grows as I face this with burning energy. Nothing can hold me down; I will not fall. I’ll turn your laughter into fear, hold the line forevermore, and let this flame burn brighter than ever.

Mourinho’s continuation of Sevilla match was good to see. Adapting to what was not working. Here’s a breakdown of the game against Leipzig, the set-up, performers and some El Clásico sprinkled in. Check it out!

Real Madrid have the tools, quality & too many runners to reduce El Clásico to whether Real Madrid are beaten before the match even begins. This XI gives Mourinho enough to make Flick defend several movements within the same attack. It starts with Arda & Camavinga’s giving Madrid a way through pressure. Arda drawing the opponent before releasing, Camavinga moving to receive at a different angle & carrying when the space opens. Jude shouldn’t have to drop alongside them to manufacture every forward pass but he can always provide that route. This allows Valverde to start higher, with Dumfries outside him. Mbappé occupies the vacated space Barça allow, Valverde attacks the gap inside the full-back & Arda supplies from underneath. If the defender follows Valverde inside, the outside pass opens. If he steps towards Dumfries, Madrid have a runner attacking the space he leaves. Barça’s narrow attacking shape makes their immediate pressure dangerous, but escaping that first crowd can force defenders to recover towards the flanks. Madrid need support following the ball out, so the receiver can combine before the pressure catches him. Every pass should have a zip on it. Lucho’s PSG offered a useful reference on the right: Doué finding Hakimi inside the box, Hakimi also playing Neves through in another attack. The threat kept moving between the winger, full-back & midfielder. That’s the connection I’d want around Arda, Valverde & Dumfries, adapted to their qualities. On the left, Diomandé gives Madrid someone who can receive under pressure, protect the ball & bring Jude into the move. Jude can then attack inside the full-back, with Mbappé occupying the middle & Dumfries arriving at the far post. Madrid would have players attacking the delivery from different positions, rather than everyone waiting on the same line. This is where the biggest coaching job comes into the picture. Those arrivals need protection. When Dumfries advances, Cucurella stays connected to Huijsen & Konaté, with Camavinga available underneath. Mourinho has already deployed this shape. Diomandé’s work coming back also matters against Barça’s RHS which is their ball-relief and end of action trigger. Alonso’s win last October showed Madrid could change the height of their pressure without losing their attacking threat: aggressive early, more compact later, still dangerous when they recovered possession. Mourinho can use that approach. Jude joins Mbappé in the first line, Valverde & Diomandé recover around the midfield, and the team chooses when to press together. A win cuts the gap to three points; defeat makes it nine. Mourinho’s league tenure is on survival mode: WIN or you’ll never recover.

The Tchouaméni - Camavinga battle for a place alongside Arda in El Clásico should be about helping Madrid take the game to Barcelona. PSG gave Mourinho a great reference point. Flick brings players closer to combine, exchange positions & attract opponents before finding Lamine with less traffic. Follow every movement individually and you leave another player free. Their establishment follows throughout this season and relationship is quite a similar approach of Alonso’s Leverkusen. PSG challenged that with collective pressure & quick attacks after recovering possession. Neves won the ball for Doué’s opener, Vitinha picked up the loose ball outside the box & Fabián arrived to finish Hakimi’s delivery. Their midfield could recover possession, support the attack & finish it. Midfield is the heart of a team. That’s what Madrid should be building around Arda, Jude & whoever starts beside them. Arda drawing pressure and progressing, Jude receiving beyond it, combining & arriving in the box. Tchouaméni holding underneath gives both freedom to move. Camavinga shares more of the work of receiving under pressure & carrying through it, both serve a purpose but a flawed one. Camavinga’s profile is more adaptable if you’re trying to emulate PSG’s approach. Tchouaméni if you’re seeking for lower positioning and blocking the channels. The similarity between them is ability to win duels. Which is very important against a Flick-led team. Mourinho will have a headache with the picking because of the presented flaws both players have.

Great result for Real Madrid to build confidence from. Arda & Camavinga the standouts, with their performances giving Mourinho something worth developing. We’re seeing an evolution. Camavinga was brilliant in that floating pivot role. Timed his drops to receive, recognised when to move forward & didn’t force actions. Madrid had a passing option underneath without him becoming disconnected from the players ahead. Completed 65/71 passes & won 14 duels, while dealing really well with Leipzig’s attempts to enter through the middle. These sort of movements matter for the players around him. Someone offering a way back allows Arda, Bernardo & Jude to combine without every forward pass becoming an action they have to finish immediately. Madrid can keep the ball, move the opposition & choose when to accelerate. Bernardo Siva played a huge role in that. Arda Güler just continues being brilliant. Connected the right side, created chances & still arrived to threaten the goal: 73 touches, 54/58 passes & 2 chances created in 78 minutes. His shot produced Bernardo’s opener before he scored the second himself. Some collective problems remain, especially how passively Madrid started. A high line needs pressure on the player supplying the pass; Leipzig were repeatedly allowed to look up & attack behind it. Courtois still had to make 5 saves. Feels that LHS with Vinícius gets trapped against the ball too easy when team is hyper aggressive. There’s plenty to build on with these profiles. Give them continuity, bring the lines closer & coordinate the pressure. Their quality deserves to show across the whole team. Mourinho will probably have a more balanced XI for El Clásico. Convincing result. Good performance to build from that Sevilla game and leaving scars of Roma match behind.

Yan Diomandé. WOW! That’s some way to get your first Champions League goal for Real Madrid.

Camavinga has been brilliant in this floating pivot role. Times his drops to receive, picks his moments to move forward & doesn’t force actions. Just as good dealing with Leipzig’s attempts to play through the middle. Camavinga + Bernardo Silva 2 w/ great game.

Àlvaro Carreras is better than Marc Cucurella.