Jose Mourinho's Stubborn Lineup Choices Are Dragging Real Madrid Down

"The first half was down to me; the second half was down to the players," José Mourinho told the press following Real Madrid's thrilling 4–3 victory over Roma in the Champions League on Wednesday, distributing responsibility for the shortcomings that left his side needing to claw back a two-goal deficit in under ten minutes.

Mourinho was greeted as a returning legend at the Stadio Olimpico and departed as a winner. Yet the result sparked debate over whether "the Special One" still has the tactical acumen to set a team up properly.

Madrid were thoroughly outplayed in the opening 45 minutes against Roma and were fortunate to head into the break level at 1–1. Playing between the lines, attacking midfielder Matías Soulé was given far too much space, while Wesley repeatedly surged forward from right wingback without a marker in sight.

Mourinho switched his wide players, Vinícius Jr and Yan Diomande, at the interval, but the issues continued and Los Blancos—through a mix of defensive errors and a lack of urgency—found themselves 3–1 behind by the hour mark.

The decision to withdraw Vinícius Jr and Denzel Dumfries in favor of Endrick and Arda Güler shifted the momentum firmly back toward Madrid, as Roma sat deeper and deeper until the comeback seemed inevitable.

The final eight minutes of normal time will be remembered as one of the great Champions League comebacks—statistically the quickest recovery from a two-goal deficit—and transformed what could have been a humiliating night into a triumphant one for Madrid.

Ultimately, Mourinho's substitutes bailed Madrid out in Rome, but it was the manager's starting selections that put them in trouble to begin with.

Mourinho Gets it Wrong in Rome

The Vinicius Jr Problem

Mourinho traveled to Italy with a counter-attacking setup, deploying both Vinícius Jr and Diomande on the flanks rather than Arda Güler—who has been, by a considerable margin, Madrid's most inventive player this campaign.

Vinícius, enduring a poor run of form, repeatedly neglected his defensive duties against fellow Brazilian Wesley, leaving Marc Cucurella exposed, and was equally invisible in attack. No outfield player other than Manu Koné—who featured for just 17 minutes—registered fewer touches than the No. 7's tally of 22 across the entire match.

The 26-year-old is becoming an increasingly thorny issue for Mourinho; one the manager appears unsure how to resolve. Mourinho has handled Vinícius Jr carefully so far, yet has been unable to coax any consistent performances from the misfiring superstar.

With every game that passes, it becomes more and more difficult to justify his place in the starting lineup beyond the fact that he is a marquee name who has just penned a lucrative contract extension.

Midfield Weak Link

In midfield, Mourinho continues to rely on a double pivot of Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni—a pairing that has struggled to deliver the kind of control Madrid have desperately craved since Toni Kroos's departure in 2024.

Both players are energetic and capable in their own right, but together they lack the composure and intelligence to dominate the midfield battle in high-stakes fixtures.

Neither managed to impose himself on Wednesday and—though it is not Mourinho's doing—the failure to secure Rodri during the summer window remains the glaring issue no one wants to address.

The one midfielder who did arrive from Manchester City, Bernardo Silva, has been little more than a backup option, while Mourinho has shown no inclination to experiment with more creative arrangements, such as deploying Güler in a deeper midfield role.

Disappointing Dumfries

At the back, Denzel Dumfries has seemingly become the manager's go-to choice at right back, starting seven of Madrid's first ten matches this season. However, it remains unclear what the Dutch international contributes in either direction, while Trent Alexander-Arnold—a genuine creative force—continues to warm the bench.

Güler's introduction in place of Dumfries helped turn the tide, with the Turkish star contributing two assists. Meanwhile, Endrick—a player who has been starved of game time all season—left Madrid supporters wondering why he had been kept under wraps for so long, following his own match-changing cameo.

The encouraging takeaway is that Madrid possess genuine depth on the bench. The concerning part is that Mourinho has yet to identify his strongest starting eleven.