Jose Mourinho returned to Real Madrid this summer with a three-year contract to restore stability after two trophyless seasons. Seven league matches in, Mourinho's second spell has already shown familiar tensions. A derby defeat to Atletico Madrid left supporters questioning the team's consistency, with Real Madrid sitting fourth in La Liga, six points behind defending champions Barcelona.

The Portuguese coach now faces an international break before hosting Villarreal and traveling to Barcelona. Mourinho has concerns about the break but sees it as an opportunity to take stock. Against Atletico, Madrid struggled to control the tempo.

Mourinho started Aurelien Tchouameni alongside Valverde with Bellingham further forward, but the pairing struggled to create chances from deeper areas. Bernardo Silva was introduced late, but Madrid were already chasing the game. Mourinho needs to find a way for Real to have more control, potentially utilizing Bernardo Silva's rhythm-setting ability or Arda Guler's creativity.

Up front, Kylian Mbappe was largely ineffective while Vinicius Jr was substituted early. Mourinho must ensure his attacking trio of Vinicius, Mbappe, and Bellingham complement each other rather than crowd one another to maximize their individual quality.