Mourinho finds the substitution formula as Real Madrid snaps Barcelona's 19-game winning streak

Some plays change everything, and Eduardo Camavinga's introduction off the bench at Camp Nou is one of them. The Frenchman came on in the 80th minute for a tiring Bernardo Silva and, just seven minutes later, popped up to set the ball up for Kylian Mbappe, who scored the goal that gave Real Madrid a 2-1 win over Barcelona. It was a goal that did more than decide a match: it snapped Barcelona's streak of 19 straight La Liga wins at their renovated stadium and handed them their first league defeat at Camp Nou since May 2023.

With that result, Madrid cut into the gap with its eternal rival: from what could have been a nine point deficit had Barcelona won, to sitting just three points off the top. And there's a name behind much of that turnaround: Jose Mourinho.

In match number 13 of his second spell as Real Madrid coach, it was also the thirteenth time his team had scored within the final ten minutes. And the thirteenth time this season that a Madrid substitute has had a direct hand in a goal, whether scoring it or setting it up. That number, in fact, could have been higher: Carlos Espi had a spectacular bicycle kick ruled out against Betis for a prior offside, and Vinicius Junior had a fine finish disallowed against Villarreal for pulling an opponent's hair.

These numbers speak well of Madrid's squad depth, of the medical staff's work and of a group that competes just as hard from the bench as from the starting lineup. But they also, at least in recent weeks, speak well of Mourinho, which wasn't always the case earlier this season.

From doubt to decisiveness

For much of the campaign, the Portuguese coach showed a pattern that was starting to raise concerns: hesitation with his bench, uncertainty about when to make changes, and some responsibility for stumbles that could have been avoided. Against Espanyol, for instance, a team now fighting near the bottom of the table with just two wins all season, Mourinho had made only two of his five allowed substitutions by the 80th minute, with the score level. He waited until later to bring on Espi, who ended up scoring in the 90th minute. The result worked out, but the management of it raised questions.

Something similar happened against Rayo Vallecano, where the team was crying out for fresh legs and Mourinho used only three substitutes before the 90th minute, not even using all five changes available to him. Or in Seville, against Betis, where Madrid reached the 82nd minute with only three substitutions made despite creating chance after chance, and where Espi wasn't sent to warm up until the opponent was already ahead 1-0. It was too late: Madrid ended up losing 1-0.

The contrast came in Rome, on the road against AS Roma, where Madrid won 4-3 after coming back from a 3-1 deficit. There, Mourinho kept his best aerial threat, Espi, on the bench until the 78th minute. When he finally made his moves, he brought on Endrick and Espi, who both scored, and Arda Guler, who provided two key assists. The result made him look like "the Special One" again, though it left open the question of whether he should have reacted sooner. In total, in six of his first 13 matches this season, Mourinho did not use all five substitutions available to him.

Mourinho himself was aware of the debate. Before the win over Sevilla, which kicked off this run of three convincing victories in big matches, he was asked whether he should use Federico Valverde at right back and Guler as a creative midfielder. At first he pushed back, noting that as long as artificial intelligence or fan polls don't pick the lineups, he's the one in charge. But then he made a telling admission.

I can take a different direction, a soccer match lasts 90 minutes, it has a lot of nuance and different phases. The five substitution rule, especially for teams with a very strong bench, is a crucial strategic element.Jose Mourinho

That comment was, in hindsight, a preview of what was coming in the Clasico. After the match against Barcelona, Mourinho explained in detail why he brought on Camavinga and what he asked of him: that Aurelien Tchouameni stay fixed in the defensive midfield spot so Camavinga could push forward to find space and break Barcelona's offside line. It worked perfectly, with an assist from Jude Bellingham in the buildup at a moment when Madrid was pinned back by Barcelona's pressure.

Some coaches want to make changes, look at the bench and don't have solutions. A lot of coaches suffer because they can't put their ideas into practice on the field. I have a rich bench, with players who could be starters. Camavinga played exceptionally against Leipzig and today he started on the bench.Jose Mourinho

With Barcelona now just three points ahead and Real Madrid level on points in the Champions League's league phase, the lingering question is whether this version of Mourinho, more willing to listen to his coaching staff and sharper in reading matches, is here to stay. If so, every other contender, in Spain and across Europe, has reason to take notice.