Jose Mourinho is settling in to watch the eagerly awaited clash between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona. Real Madrid's important win over Valencia has put them in an ideal position ahead of the international break, with the team clearly improving and closing in on top spot in both La Liga and the Champions League.
According to the Spanish newspaper "AS", Mourinho had joked before the Atletico and Barcelona clash that he wanted "both teams to lose".
Mestalla proved less daunting than the Portuguese coach had expected. Now he can sit in front of his screen and enjoy a bucket of popcorn as the two great local rivals go at it, because the 3-0 win in Valencia means any result at the "Riyadh Air Metropolitano" works in his team's favour.
This is no longer about short-term results. The "run of matches" that Mourinho often speaks of has become an undeniable reality.
The newspaper noted that Real Madrid have become a completely different team from the one that suffered inconsistency at the start of the season and endured a harsh defeat in the derby.
Their coach has found the right formula, something the players feel too, and it shows in the team's standing in both competitions.
Eight consecutive victories carried Real Madrid into the international break. They sit close to the top of the Champions League standings with maximum points from all four matches, and they lead La Liga as well.
Beyond the improved La Liga position and the four consecutive away wins that had been worrying Mourinho, the team's most distinctive feature right now is the harmony between the personalities of its players and their roles on the pitch.
"AS" explained that Fede Valverde has finally been convinced that his natural position is right-back, while Arda Guler, Bernardo and Diomande strengthen the defensive commitment. That allows Jude Bellingham to shed the enormous physical burden he used to carry alone, and so the team's collective spirit has emerged at its very best.
A major development for Real Madrid
Could this Real Madrid be more solid than the teams that came before them? Mourinho refused to take the credit, saying after the Mestalla clash: "The credit goes to them, and I cannot pinpoint anything in my work that was a decisive factor in them reaching this level. They respond in an amazing way as a single team".
Satisfaction clear, the Madrid coach added: "There is a major development, and this team gives me a good feeling".
His technical staff keep stressing that Real Madrid have not reached perfection yet. They have, though, transmitted calm and confidence to the players, something Mourinho wants to maintain through this spell of victories and positive results.
Mourinho told his players: "I always tell them that winning with Real Madrid is not something to celebrate, rather it is the normal situation".
Real Madrid are winning more smoothly and with greater efficiency now, foot on the accelerator, as normality returns to Los Blancos once again.