It has not been the best of starts for Jose Mourinho in his return to the helm at Real Madrid, with Los Blancos sitting fourth in the La Liga table, having already suffered two defeats against Real Betis and Atletico Madrid.
It is by no means time for Mourinho to press the panic button, but they really need to turn their fortunes around if they want to avoid Barcelona opening up serious ground on them. Hansi Flick's side have started the season with a perfect record; seven wins from seven, thirty-one goals scored, and only seven conceded.
Remarkably, Mourinho's start to the 2026/27 season is, in some ways, similar to his start in the Spanish capital during the 2010/11 season. However, back then, his side boasted a far better defensive record after eight matches.
From the first six league matches of the 2010/11 season, Madrid had scored twelve goals and conceded only two. In their two opening matches of the Champions League that season, they scored four goals and conceded none.
The first eight matches yielded six wins and two draws, a markedly different start from this season.
For Mourinho and his players, the run of matches after the international break will be significant and could prove to be tricky with the injuries that are piling up from players playing with their nations.
Why Real Madrid's October Schedule Could Define Mourinho's Start
When club football returns, Real Madrid have a brutal schedule. Between October 10 and 25, they will play five matches across La Liga and the Champions League.
In that span, they face Villarreal, AS Roma, Sevilla, RB Leipzig, before ending the run with El Clasico away to Barcelona.
Facing three La Liga matches alongside Champions League ties against Roma and Leipzig will provide an important early test for Mourinho.
This is a chance to keep pace with Barcelona and potentially close the gap before El Clasico, depending on both teams' results.
| Match | Date | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid vs Villarreal | 10 October | La Liga |
| AS Roma vs Real Madrid | 14 October | Champions League |
| Real Madrid vs Sevilla | 18 October | La Liga |
| Real Madrid vs RB Leipzig | 21 October | Champions League |
| Barcelona vs Real Madrid | 25 October | La Liga |
For Mourinho, the upcoming results will be important. Getting things right could take some pressure off of him, but a poor run could increase pressure on the club and Mourinho that's already gone without a trophy for the past two seasons.
By their standards, that's simply not good enough and the prospect of another trophyless season could increase pressure on the club's board, even this early in the campaign.
Rotation will also be important during the run of matches, particularly given Madrid's current injury problems.
The club just announced that defender Raul Asencio will have to undergo surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right leg, adding to a mounting injury list at the club that includes Ferland Mendy, Rodrygo, Kylian Mbappe, Federico Valverde, Eder Militao, and Ibrahima Konate.
