Vinicius Junior was absent and Real Madrid improved, which has reignited the question that scares everyone at the Bernabeu: what will Mourinho do when the Brazilian returns?
Real Madrid thrashed Valencia 3-0 at Mestalla and looked all the better for it. That was the last match Vinicius played before his four-match La Liga suspension for his sending-off against Villarreal, and the team sharpened noticeably without him. His return now looms as the toughest problem on the coach's desk.
Speaking on "Cope" radio, former Spain international goalkeeper Santi Canizares, who turned out for both Valencia and Real Madrid, did not hesitate to offer what he believes is the only way out. It is a drastic one, and it would tear up every calculation in the Spanish capital.
The solution is for him to play as a striker
Canizares cut to the heart of it: "Now we will see how he integrates him into the team", pointing to the decision Mourinho faces over the Brazilian's return.
He went on: "Vinicius is a player who clearly will not just slip by unnoticed, and he will not be marginalised".
Then came his proposal. "For me, the solution facing Mourinho is for the Brazilian star to play as an out-and-out striker, instead of Mbappe", he said, a switch the French star rejects.
That one line was the bombshell. Vinicius should take Mbappe's place at the heart of the attack rather than lining up alongside him on the flank.
Together, but without an identity
"It is the only possible alternative for him," Canizares continued. "With the two of them on the pitch together, the team can still win matches, but it will not have the same identity, the same balance, and the same positive atmosphere."
Put Vinicius and Mbappe on together and Real Madrid win. But they lose something bigger: the identity, balance and positive atmosphere that surfaced while the Brazilian sat out.
An impossible mission for Mourinho
"This is a difficult problem to solve," Canizares said. "If he manages to get Vinicius playing and integrate him into the team's dynamic, that would be a truly remarkable achievement".
He added: "If Mourinho can get Vinicius to run, he deserves warm applause".
Bellingham, meanwhile, drew praise for his influence on Real Madrid. "When he is on the pitch, he is a very generous person, when he sees others shirking their responsibilities, he stirs their anger, and even if he wanted to, it would not be as it was, there are others like Bellingham, but this is more obvious with him," Canizares said.
So the ball sits in Mourinho's court. Does he have the nerve to make Vinicius an out-and-out striker ahead of Mbappe? Can he get the Brazilian to run, defend and buy into the team's dynamic? Pull it off, said Canizares, and it is an achievement worthy of warm applause. Fail, and Vinicius's crisis could become a crisis for all of Real Madrid.