The excuses for Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid are running out. After its latest 3-1 home loss to Barcelona on Saturday, there was no talk of referee bias or the Catalan side’s supposed propensity for exaggerating fouls, just the last-ditch explanation left for any loser: pure bad luck.
In blaming fate, Mourinho appeared to be resigned to accepting that for whatever reason his Real Madrid is second best to a side that continues to play the world’s most attractive football.
“Football is a game, and details and luck form part of it,” a subdued Mourinho said after the match. “Without taking anything away from our opponent, luck was the difference.”
“They have won more games than we have, and it is easy to conclude that whoever wins more is the better team because time passes and … we are only left with the numbers.”
The numbers are conclusive. Since the arrival of coach Pep Guardiola, Barcelona has yet to lose to Madrid in the league in seven games and has an overall record of eight wins and three draws to only one loss in all competitions.
The headlines of the Madrid-friendly sports dailies on Sunday made no appeals to chance.
AS read “The Best Team Won,” while Marca lamented “Barca Again Conquers the Bernabeu.”
While Madrid defender Pepe also said that “Barca was very lucky,” captain Iker Casillas acknowledged that his team’s psychological need to beat Barcelona may also have influenced its failure to react after falling behind.
“You have to be able to also play with bad luck,” said Casillas. “The results of the past seasons have not been favourable, but we have to look forward. Barcelona can’t be an obsession.”
Perhaps the Spain goalkeeper was best suited to see that although Madrid came close to scoring twice before uncharacteristic misses by Cristiano Ronaldo, Barcelona could have inflicted its fierce rival even greater pain if it had shown more ambition in the final stretch of a game it dominated with ease.
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Mourinho blames bad luck for Barca loss