Mourinho enjoys 4-1 win over Leipzig but already has one eye on the Clasico: "We're losing 24 hours of rest"

The scoreline was clear, 4-1 over RB Leipzig at the Santiago Bernabeu, but Jose Mourinho's mind was already somewhere else before he finished answering the first question. Real Madrid's coach, after sealing the win in Matchday 3 of the Champions League, wasted no time turning his focus to what's next: the Clasico against Barcelona, with a countdown he clearly isn't thrilled about.

"For the Clasico there's no comfort, it's just another game on the calendar, but to say it's a game like any other would be a lie, completely divorced from reality. We're losing 24 hours of rest, but there we go," Mourinho explained to Movistar+ microphones. The complaint isn't new in a sport packed with fixtures, but the coach wanted to put it out there right as his team was still celebrating a rout.

Praise for Bernardo Silva and a night of good rhythm

Before looking ahead to Sunday, Mourinho paused to reflect on what he'd seen on the pitch. Bernardo Silva, who scored the opening goal of the match, drew the warmest words: "Bernardo is one of those guys who hadn't started a game in a long time, he's also earned the right to play and he had a great match." According to the coach, the first half was played well but at a low tempo, something that changed once the team decided to step on the gas: "When we raise the tempo, it's a different story."

He also had praise for the team's work down the right flank, which he again called one of the squad's strengths, producing "good solutions" throughout the match. The only blemish was the goal conceded: "The only thing I didn't like was the goal Courtois didn't deserve, because someone who makes the two saves he made doesn't deserve to have his teammates spoil his night."

The substitution of Vinicius for Diomande also got an explanation, though Mourinho was clear it had nothing to do with managing minutes ahead of the Clasico: "The idea behind bringing him on wasn't about thinking ahead to the Clasico. Having Diomande fresh, coming on with 20 or 30 minutes left, is tough to deal with, because he has real pace." On Vinicius, he highlighted the defensive work more than the attacking side: "Vinicius had a good match, tactically a good match for his coach. Vini closed things down very well. He could have scored a brilliant goal, the keeper made a great save. I don't want to say sad, because that's a feeling only he can explain, but his coach is happy."

Mourinho wrapped up with a look at Real Madrid's Champions League group, where the club now sits on 9 points: "It leaves me with the conclusion that we have 9 points, we're very close to the playoff spot, but we're still far from the 20 points that might be needed to qualify directly." The schedule, he admitted, isn't giving the team a break: "We have to keep going, next up is Athens in a tough spot, because two days later we play in Valencia, a situation worth thinking about, but that'll come. Right now we have Sunday."