Mourinho's Real Madrid Falls Six Points Behind Barcelona After Two Losses

Mourinho's Real Madrid trails Barcelona by six points after two defeats

Four away games, two losses, and two victories secured in stoppage time. That is the balance sheet, according to a fan, of the first half of the 2026/27 season for Mourinho's Real Madrid, a team that started as favorites but now sits six points behind Barcelona in mid-October. The recent defeat, described as humiliating, triggered a cascade of criticism from the bench to the boardroom.

The technical diagnosis repeats in almost every analysis: the team lacks an organizing pivot, Mbappé and Vinicius overlap in the same zone, neither tracks back defensively, and Bellingham has had to drop deep, away from his lethal area. On top of this tactical issue lies an attitude problem that many point to as the true root of the disaster.

The pivot problem and the overlap of Mbappé and Vinicius

The absence of an organizing midfielder is the most repeated criticism. Without a player capable of organizing the build-up and maintaining balance, the team is split in two and relies on individual actions to create danger. The second major conflict is the coexistence of Mbappé and Vinicius, two players occupying the same spaces who, according to harsh criticism, only appear when they feel like it.

The result is a team that reacts late. Several reports agree that Madrid only started playing in the 89th minute, when it was already too late. The feeling that the squad does not compete until backed against the ropes runs through the entire season coverage.

Mourinho, six points behind Xabi Alonso this late in the season

The comparison with the previous campaign is inevitable. At this stage last season, Alonso's Madrid remained unbeaten at the top. With Mourinho, the team is already six points behind Barcelona and has accumulated two losses. The question hovering over the environment is whether Florentino will have the same patience with the Portuguese as he did with his predecessor.

Mourinho's return was presented as a final dance, a short-term bet to regain competitive edge. The results, so far, do not match. The coach, according to the most cynical readings, smelled the opportunity to sign one last big contract and would do nothing to contradict the president.

Vinicius's injury and the state of the dressing room

Vinicius's injury, with a knee problem that looks serious, adds another layer of uncertainty. Some see it as an opportunity to recompose the attack, while others read it as yet another blow to a season slipping away. The dressing room reaction, with divided cliques and tensions over individual bonuses, fuels the thesis that there is no common base on which to build.

This summer's transfers are again subject to criticism. The lack of center-backs, the questionable performance of some reinforcements, and the feeling that players are signed for market value rather than sporting need complete the picture. The clean-up, they say, is three years behind schedule.

The Bernabéu and the fans: between patience and rejection

The discontent is not limited to the game. Part of the fanbase recalls that six months ago, two out of three fans rejected a graceful exit for the current management model. The paradox is evident: the same voter who supports the president is now suffering the sporting consequences. Criticism of the board, asset management, and the club's drift as a listed company runs through the harshest analyses.

The atmosphere in the stadium, however, has not yet exploded. Patience holds, though with visible cracks. The question is how long it will last if results do not change.

The calendar and upcoming fixtures

The team now faces a series of matches that could shape the season's course. Villarreal, Roma, and Sevilla appear on the immediate horizon, with eyes on November 29, a date set for a court appearance that could further agitate the environment. The general feeling is that the margin for error has run out and any additional stumble would open a crisis with unpredictable consequences.

With these numbers, the deficit relative to Barcelona is the largest in recent years at this stage. The squad has the depth to reverse it, but also a fundamental problem that cannot be fixed with a system change.