José Mourinho made striking comments after Real Madrid's thrilling victory over AEK Athens, talking up his team's character and their knack for deciding matches in the final moments.
Real came from behind to win it in the dying minutes, 3-2, in yet another scenario that showed their determination to fight until the final whistle. The result prompted Mourinho to express his great confidence in his players, and he reached for a striking phrase at the press conference.
As highlighted by the Spanish newspaper "AS", the Portuguese said: "These matches that are decided in the final minutes... no one can win them this way except us. We... have what it takes to do it."
His players believe in their ability to come back, he added, pointing to their courage and calling himself fortunate to have a group of this quality.
Mourinho praised AEK Athens, naming the Greek side as one of the reasons Real did not look their best. "We played against an extremely difficult team, which put in a wonderful performance, perhaps even its best match," he said. "They were very well organised from the first minute, relied on direct play, and showed great physical strength and intensity. They delivered an exceptional match."
He added: "Despite the difficulties, we stayed in the match, we knew how to deal with the critical moments, and we showed strong character despite falling behind in the scoreline. And in the final minute, when the match became open and both teams wanted to win, the team with greater individual quality prevailed."
Mourinho defends Vinícius
On Vinícius Júnior's performance, Mourinho denied that the Brazilian's presence had forced teammate Diomande to switch position and play on the right instead of the left.
"Vinícius did not cause anything," he said. "Diomande came to Real Madrid to play on both sides, not just on one side. It does not matter to him, and nothing changes for him whatever side he plays on."
Vinícius' display he described as acceptable, explaining that his substitution decisions were not linked only to this match but also took into account the upcoming meeting with Valencia, scheduled for Saturday.
Asked whether he needed to handle Vinícius with more leniency or firmness, he answered jokingly: "80% with the right hand and 20% with the left hand", a nod to leaning on the lenient approach for the most part.
Special praise for Bellingham and Endrick
Jude Bellingham also drew high praise. Mourinho called him an exceptional player with a complete set of qualities that are hard to find in another midfielder.
"Since my arrival, he has been producing good levels," he said. "He is a unique player, and there is no midfielder in the world who possesses this amount of completeness at every level. He has the work rate, the leadership, the ambition, the quality, and the ability to arrive in the box and score. He is an exceptional player."
There was understanding, too, for the frustration of players starved of minutes, among them Endrick. But Mourinho stressed that the quality of his bench gives him plenty of options, citing what Éder Militão had delivered despite needing some time to regain his match rhythm.
He explained: "There are many managers who look at my team's bench with positive envy, so when I face a problem and look at the bench, I find many options in front of me. We have a group that enjoys great quality, and as long as the players work only for the team, and set aside personal considerations, this group will be extremely strong."
Several changes are coming against Valencia. Mourinho revealed his intention to rotate given the pressure of fixtures and the short turnaround between the two matches, pointing to Dean Huijsen, Konaté, Tchouaméni and Arda Güler among those he expects to benefit.