Real Madrid Boss Jose Mourinho Breaks Silence on Yan Diomande's Situation

After Real Madrid's excellent victory, Jose Mourinho attended the post-match press conference to address several match-related topics. The most interesting moment came when he was asked about Yan Diomande's performance, as the young Ivorian still hasn't scored since joining the Merengue, which is starting to exasperate fans who know the price the club paid for him.

"He is going to improve progressively. He has little time at a high level and has a lot to learn tactically. But he has incredible potential. In the one-on-one, pass, shot ... He gives us many options. He can play where Vini plays, on the right; Arda can play there or where Bellingham plays. Right now I want to make him evolve," he commented.

He was also asked about the team's different faces in the first and second halves: they looked much more dominant in the first 45 minutes, scoring three goals and giving Rayo Vallecano few chances. In the second half, they looked tired and imprecise in their passing, letting the visitors score off a build-up error.

"I would define the match as a 45-minute one. It was finished in 45 minutes. I knew the team didn't have the physical and mental strength to play the second half the way it had played the first. The image that illustrates everything is how Bellingham played the last 10 minutes. Practically everyone makes mistakes in construction: the difficulty of pressing, the shots on goal... I already knew it. I expected it was going to be like that."

Lastly, he also addressed Arda Guler, who came on as a substitute in the 72nd minute, replacing Diomande, and looked highly involved from the start. Demonstrating his agility and his privileged left foot, with which he provided the assist to Kylian Mbappe, who took care of scoring the fourth and defining goal. A performance that, for many, was much better than Diomande's despite having only participated for around 20 minutes.

"Arda plays a lot when he is on the field. I'm 100% sure that if Diomande doesn't start today, the first question will be, 'Why does Diomande not play?' On the bench, you only see quality. The rotations are going to happen match by match. Arda has a very positive influence on the team's play. When he entered, he made the difference in the stability of the play," Mourinho concluded.