According to a report by Barca Universal on Thursday October 22, 2026, with Jose Mourinho at the helm, Real Madrid has seemingly found a more effective midfield structure. The team's recent victories indicate that Mourinho is finding solutions ahead of Sunday's El Clasico against Barcelona.

In light of Madrid's recent successes against Sevilla and RB Leipzig, AS reports that Mourinho is even more convinced that Arda Guler or Bernardo Silva can boost the team's midfield control, creativity, and possession.

Federico Valverde's energy could fortify the defense and assist offensive movements and combinations with teammates in advanced positions, according to the manager. He also thinks he could be more useful at right back.

In the aftermath of their Champions League triumph over Leipzig, Mourinho stressed the need to bring in technically talented midfielders to speed up the team's transitions from defense to attack and enhance build-up play.

After the game, Mourinho explained that his team's build-up play, control, and transitions were all improved with midfielders Arda and Bernardo Silva.

The stats back up this claim: Madrid had their best possession percentages of the season so far (65.1 percent vs. Sevilla and 64.4% vs. Leipzig).

In the past, Los Blancos' possession percentage was a dismal 49.5% on average. They showed a marked improvement in their passing accuracy and ball control by completing 679 of 742 passes against Leipzig.

While practicing for Sunday's match, Mourinho had Valverde and Guler trade 42 passes, which could indicate that their partnership on the right is going to be a major part of his strategy moving forward.

Due to Madrid's historical inability to maintain constant possession and control over matches despite their physical strength and attacking prowess, the experiment signifies more than just two remarkable wins.

To fix that while keeping the team's fast-attacking capabilities intact, bring in another creative midfielder. But Mourinho has to choose the lineup that will be most balanced in their matchup with Barcelona.

Technically gifted and composed under pressure, Guler and Bernardo are complemented by Valverde's versatility, who offers defensive protection and extra support on the right flank.

Hansi Flick's Barcelona squad will provide a tough test of this strategy. On Sunday, Madrid's midfield dominance might be the deciding factor in their six-point deficit to their opponents.

While Mourinho's final roster is still up in the air, Madrid can take heart from his recent tweaks as they gear up for a pivotal chance to close the gap and bolster their title challenge.