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Mourinho on Bernardo Silva’s Role in Real Madrid’s Midfield Strategy

Following Real Madrid's 2-1 victory over Barcelona, manager Jose Mourinho spoke about integrating new signing Bernardo Silva into the midfield setup. Silva started in central midfield and played for 75 minutes before giving way to Eduardo Camavinga, who later assisted Kylian Mbappe’s decisive goal in the 88th minute.

Midfield Depth and Tactical Variety

Mourinho highlighted the importance of squad depth and mixing different player types in midfield. He said every player in the group must be ready to influence games at any moment, pointing out that knowing a player well does not guarantee how they will fit tactically.

"I’ve known Bernardo for a long time, but integrating him into our team dynamic is a different matter," Mourinho said. "The group is very strong. I never say ‘this is my starting eleven’; everyone works hard."

The Balance of Midfield Roles

The coach shared his preference for combining players with contrasting skills rather than similar profiles in midfield. He mentioned avoiding using Bernardo Silva together with Guler as a double pivot except in urgent situations.

"Having a mix of talents gives us more than having two players with similar characteristics," Mourinho explained. "This approach offers balance in defense and enhances quality when attacking."

Competition and Flexibility in Midfield

Real Madrid’s midfield options include Bernardo Silva, Eduardo Camavinga, Guler, and Tchouameni. This competition allows Mourinho to adjust tactics easily depending on the opponent and match conditions.

The team now shifts focus to their next La Liga match against Santander.

Journalist Background

The article’s author has nearly ten years of experience covering football, starting at Indonesia’s Tabloid BOLA and later contributing to GOAL and FIFA. Alongside journalism, the writer works as a live commentator for Indonesian football and holds a degree in History from Universitas Padjadjaran.

Personal Football Connection

The writer’s football passion is shaped by geography, heritage, and early fandom, including ties to Persib Bandung and favorite players like Ronaldo and Arjen Robben. Their interest spans Indonesian, Southeast Asian, and East Asian football scenes.

Expertise and Favorite Moments

  • Expertise: Indonesian football, Liga 1 insights, Southeast and East Asian football landscapes, digital content creation, player profiling, live commentary, and multilingual communication.
  • Memorable Experience: Traveling across Europe and Asia to meet Indonesian players abroad and producing exclusive interviews that hold personal significance.

All-Time XI

  • Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer or Rogério Ceni
  • Defenders: Javier Zanetti, Sergio Ramos
  • Midfielders: N’Golo Kanté, Toni Kroos, Juan Román Riquelme or Michael Laudrup
  • Forwards: Arjen Robben, Mohamed Salah, Zlatan Ibrahimović
  • Additional mentions: Lothar Matthäus, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo (not included due to popularity)

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