Mourinho faces Barcelona in first Clasico since Madrid return

Jose Mourinho will take charge of his first Clasico since returning to Real Madrid when his side visit La Liga leaders Barcelona at Camp Nou on Sunday. Madrid arrive on a four-match winning run across La Liga and the Champions League, but face the back-to-back Spanish champions.

The match also renews a rivalry that shaped Mourinho’s first spell at Madrid from 2010 to 2013. He ended Barcelona’s hold on the Spanish title in 2012, though his clashes with the club extended well beyond results on the pitch.

A rivalry with a heated history

Madrid and Barcelona met four times in 18 days in 2011. A 1-1 league draw helped Barcelona towards the title, before Cristiano Ronaldo scored an extra-time winner as Madrid beat them in the Copa del Rey.

Barcelona then won the first leg of their Champions League semi-final 2-0 at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu, where defender Pepe was sent off. Mourinho called the match a “scandal”. A 1-1 draw in the return leg sent Barcelona through to a final they went on to win.

The tension continued that August, when Mourinho poked Barcelona assistant coach Tito Vilanova in the eye. His exchanges with then Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola were another feature of a period in which matches between the clubs were frequently contested in the press room as well as on the field.

Mourinho’s second spell takes shape

Mourinho has again drawn attention to refereeing decisions since his return. After a derby defeat, he displayed print-outs of incidents to argue that Atletico Madrid should have received two red cards. He later declined to attend a press conference after Vinicius Junior was sent off against Villarreal.

On the pitch, Madrid have won their last four matches in La Liga and the Champions League. Mourinho has used Federico Valverde at right-back in the last two games, despite initially saying he did not see the midfielder in that position. Arda Guler and Bernardo Silva have also been deployed in midfield in Valverde’s place.

“I’ve been here for over a hundred days. Obviously, we are not where I want, but there are things we are doing better today than before,” Mourinho said.

Barcelona provide the next test

Since Hansi Flick arrived, Barcelona have won six of seven Clasicos against Madrid, scoring 22 goals and conceding 11. Sunday’s meeting will show how far Mourinho’s improving side has come against the team it was brought back to challenge.

Mourinho has previously used Pepe in midfield against Barcelona, but whether he takes a similarly disruptive approach at Camp Nou remains to be seen.