Mourinho accepts Real Madrid’s second-half drop after emphatic Rayo win

Real Madrid defeated Rayo Vallecano 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu, although the commanding scoreline did not tell the full story of the second half. José Mourinho acknowledged his team’s drop in intensity but refused to blame the players, pointing instead to the physical and mental demands of the schedule.

REAL MADRID SETTLED THE CONTEST EARLY

Madrid established control within the opening stages. Kylian Mbappé converted a penalty, Álvaro Carreras quickly added the second and Jude Bellingham made it 3-0 before half-time after being supplied by Vinícius Júnior.

Mourinho later described the contest as effectively a 45-minute match. By the interval, his side had built a decisive advantage and completed the most important part of the job.

MOURINHO EXPECTED THE ENERGY LEVELS TO FALL

Rayo improved after the restart and Sergio Camello reduced the deficit early in the second half. Madrid became less secure in possession, made more mistakes during their build-up and could no longer press with the same consistency.

The coach did not attempt to disguise those problems. He explained, however, that he had anticipated them after a demanding Champions League fixture. In his view, the players lacked the physical and mental freshness required to reproduce their first-half intensity for another 45 minutes.

Mourinho highlighted Bellingham’s difficult final stages as an illustration of the team’s fatigue. Rather than criticising the squad, he said the players deserved his respect and applause for their work during a challenging run of matches.

THE BENCH HELPED RESTORE CONTROL

Madrid reinforced the midfield and tightened their defensive structure as Rayo attempted to create uncertainty. Mourinho explained that, at 3-1, protecting the advantage had become more important than taking unnecessary risks.

The approach worked. Rayo were denied a route back into the contest before Mbappé completed his brace with a stoppage-time counterattack.

A STRONG RESULT WITH ROOM TO IMPROVE

Mourinho remains encouraged by the team’s progress but believes Madrid can still become more clinical. His side play at a frantic pace and consistently produce chances, yet too many opportunities are still being missed.

The second-half performance therefore provided useful material for further work without overshadowing another convincing victory. Madrid managed their advantage, responded to Rayo’s improvement and secured three points on a night when the decisive damage had already been inflicted before half-time.