According to Mourinho, his compatriot Joao Cancelo should have seen red. Cancelo caught Yan Diomande on the calf with his studs as he tried in vain to stop the Real winger's dribble.
"A great win for the lads against a great opponent," Mourinho told Real Madrid TV. "With a referee who had a great game and a VAR who was fast asleep in the 60th minute during an incident that could have had a huge impact on the whole match. That was a clear red card for Cancelo!"
Diomande gets away from Cancelo before the defender's right foot lands briefly on the Ivorian's lower leg. He stumbles slightly, then sprints on. On-field referee Juan Martinez Munuera lets play continue, but why does the VAR not intervene? There is a case for a sending-off for serious foul play, though it is not clear-cut.
Getty ImagesMemories of Lionel Messi's World Cup foul
Arriving a little late, Cancelo tries to play the ball. The contact, studs on Diomande's lower leg in what looks like a stamp at around mid-height, points towards a red card. The challenge also appears to have considerable speed and force, which would justify a sending-off. But Diomande stays on his feet, and the VAR may have judged the impact too slight.
Whether the challenge meets that test is hard to judge conclusively. Two of these three criteria must be met for a red card, and the video assistant referee may not have been sufficiently convinced on two or all three to intervene.
The incident recalled the much-discussed foul by Lionel Messi in Argentina's World Cup opener against Algeria. At the time, former top referee Patrick Ittrich gave a very clear explanation on MagentaTV of all the criteria and the possible reasoning of a VAR.
Getty ImagesHow did Real legend Guti assess the incident?
Backing Mourinho, Real legend Guti said the video referee should have reviewed the incident. He was speaking as a pundit for streaming service DAZN.
The former midfielder (49), who won five league titles and three Champions League titles with Real, saw it as a clear case for a review "because of the force of the challenge", reported DAZN.
"I find it incomprehensible that the video referee did not intervene," Guti said.
Cancelo's foul came with Real Madrid leading 1-0. Instead of playing the final half-hour at Camp Nou with a man advantage, the visitors conceded an equaliser to Raphinha shortly afterwards. Kylian Mbappe scored the winner shortly before the end, giving Mourinho's side a prestigious 2-1 win. The incident is unlikely to have major repercussions, and Mourinho was not looking for a fight. Who knows how he would have reacted without Mbappe's winner.
As it was, he left it at: "Great game, great win, the lads deserved it."
With the three points in Barcelona, Real tightened the race at the top of LaLiga. Barca remain in front with 27 points despite their first defeat of the season, followed by Atletico and Real Madrid on 25 and 24 points respectively.