Mourinho Rants About VAR Despite Real Madrid's El Clasico Win

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho expressed frustration with VAR officials following his team's late 2-1 victory over Barcelona in El Clasico. Kylian Mbappe scored a brace, including the decisive goal in the 87th minute, to narrow the gap behind Barcelona in La Liga to three points.

Mourinho, who celebrated Mbappe's winner with a knee slide reminiscent of his earlier career, stated in his post-match press conference that the video assistant referee was "sleeping." He specifically pointed to an incident involving Jose Cancelo on Yan Diomande, which he felt warranted a red card and could have altered the game's outcome. Referee Juan Martínez Munuera did not issue a card for the challenge, and shortly after, Raphinha equalized for Barcelona.

Despite the win, Mourinho urged his team not to become complacent, emphasizing the importance of maintaining focus on winning La Liga rather than dwelling on a single victory. Real Madrid's win ended Barcelona's flawless start to the league season and gave Real Madrid a narrow lead in the all-time El Clasico head-to-head record, with 107 wins to Barcelona's 106.

Mourinho's tenure at the Santiago Bernabeu appears to be gaining momentum, with Real Madrid securing eight wins in their last nine matches across all competitions. The match also featured notable performances from England internationals Jude Bellingham and Anthony Gordon, as well as former Premier League players Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick attributed his team's performance to fatigue, citing their demanding schedule of four matches in 12 days. He acknowledged the defeat as part of the game and expressed confidence in the team's ability to recover and prepare for their next fixture after a full week off.