Three biggest issues Jose Mourinho must solve at Real Madrid

Three biggest issues Jose Mourinho must solve at Real Madrid The international break is finally over, with La Liga action set to resume this weekend. Real Madrid will look to make a big comeback after an underwhelming start to the 2026-27 season. Their last game was a painful 2-1 defeat at Atletico Madrid, with the result leaving them six points behind rivals Barcelona in the league standings . Los Blancos face a crucial run of five games in 16 days across La Liga and the Champions League. Head coach Jose Mourinho must solve the following big issues to revive the fortunes of the club. Vinicius Junior’s form Vinicius snubbed interest from Arsenal to sign a new, long-term contract with Madrid in the summer. But he has endured a disappointing campaign so far, scoring only one goal in eight appearances across all competitions. The forward’s confidence has appeared low. He has struggled to get into dangerous positions and has not been clinical in front of goal. Vinicius was also far from his best during the international break, as he scored once in three games against Australia and India. Weak defense Los Blancos have been leaking goals this season, with just one clean sheet in eight matches. Regular chopping and changing the backline has been an issue, but this will likely continue due to more injuries over the international break. Eder Militao and Ferland Mendy remain long-term absentees, while Raul Asencio also faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after recently undergoing a surgery. Dean Huijsen is suspended for the upcoming Villarreal clash, while Ibrahima Konate’s availability is doubtful after he suffered a knee injury on international duty. Whistling Madrid supporters With Real failing to win a major trophy in the two seasons, their supporters are understandably growing restless. The Santiago Bernabeu crowd have frequently whistled their team even in games when they were winning. Their anger is particularly directed towards underperforming stars like Vinicius and Mbappe. Mourinho’s return was expected to improve the mood among fans, but with their club struggling to perform well, that has not been the case so far.