Mourinho Defends Vinicius Junior After Real Madrid's Win

Jose Mourinho has stepped in to shield Vinicius Junior after the forward was jeered by sections of the Real Madrid crowd during Tuesday night’s chaotic Champions League win over Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Madrid edged a wild contest 2-1. Kylian Mbappe struck first, Federico Valverde added a second, and Carlos Augusto’s reply kept Inter alive right to the end in a game that swung from end to end and exposed Madrid’s flaws as much as their firepower.

Mourinho gets the win he asked for

Before kick-off, Mourinho had been blunt: he would happily trade style for three points. He got exactly that. The performance was patchy, the midfield creaked, but the scoreboard read what he wanted.

Speaking to Movistar afterwards, he could only laugh at the spectacle.

“I prefer to say it was a crazy match,” he said. “We are often criticised when the match is boring, and today it was crazy, and it could have ended 7-6 without any problem.”

The chaos was not accidental. Madrid’s midfield never got a grip, and Mourinho did not hide from it.

“Our midfield was weak, they made changes very early, and I did not have many options in midfield,” he admitted, laying bare the tactical problem that allowed Inter to keep carving out chances.

Courtois busy, Valverde praised

As the spaces opened up, Thibaut Courtois found himself at the heart of the drama. The Belgian produced a string of saves to preserve Madrid’s lead, but Mourinho refused to paint the win as a one-man rescue act.

“Courtois made many saves, but how many goals did we waste on the counter-attacks? It was a wonderful match,” he said, pointing to the missed opportunities that could have turned the night into a rout rather than a nail-biter.

Valverde, on the scoresheet and relentless without the ball, also earned his manager’s backing. Mourinho highlighted the collective pressing that forced mistakes and created the openings for Madrid’s goals, underlining that the Uruguayan’s work went far beyond his finish.

Mourinho’s message to the Bernabeu over Vinicius

The sharpest note in Mourinho’s post-match comments, though, was reserved for Vinicius. The Brazilian forward, still searching for his top level after a difficult spell, was met with jeers from some home fans during the game.

Mourinho would not let that pass.

He accepted that Vinicius is not yet the electric force Madrid have come to expect, but he drew a clear line on what the player deserves from the stands.

“He has not yet reached his full readiness, and he is not yet the Vinicius we know, but he works a lot, and whoever works and gives everything he has deserves respect,” Mourinho insisted.

The message was unmistakable: form can dip, effort cannot be questioned.

With the Champions League drama parked, Vinicius now has the chance to answer in the way that matters most to him and to Madrid — on the pitch, with LaLiga duties looming and Rayo Vallecano next in line.