Mourinho's Real Madrid Aims for El Clasico Upset at Barcelona's Camp Nou

José Mourinho makes his return to the El Clasico stage this Sunday as his Real Madrid squad prepares to face Barcelona at Camp Nou. The objective for Real Madrid is to narrow the significant gap on their arch-rivals, who currently lead La Liga. Barcelona has experienced a remarkable start to the season, securing victories in all nine of their league matches, amassing an impressive 39 goals, including a dominant 5-2 win against Real Betis last weekend. Real Madrid, on the other hand, secured a resounding 4-1 victory over Sevilla at the Bernabeu, with Kylian Mbappe netting twice. This win propelled Mourinho's team to within a point of second-placed Atletico Madrid, though they remain seven points adrift of Barcelona. Mourinho, who is managing his first Clasico since returning for a second tenure as Los Blancos manager this summer, will have to contend with the absence of the suspended attacker Vinicius Junior. His team will undoubtedly enter the match as the underdogs. "The people who thought a week ago that Barca could thrash us still think the same now," stated the Portuguese manager. His team also maintained a perfect record in the Uefa Champions League with a 4-1 win against RB Leipzig on Wednesday. "I don't think that view will change. The fact that people speak highly of Barca doesn't affect me. To be honest, there are matches in which they obviously deserve plenty of praise because they do some very good things. "In our case, we're viewed as a finished product. Finished products are difficult to achieve in football. If you talk about us at an advanced stage of the process, we've been working for three months. If you exclude preseason and the international break, we've been working for a month and a half. Far from being a finished product, we're at the very beginning of the process. "Our manager is still getting to know the team, analysing things and establishing his approach. The players are still getting to know me, too. I don't think it's fair to compare a team like ours with one that has been together for longer." Barcelona experienced their first league defeat of the season on Tuesday, succumbing to a 4-2 loss against Champions League holders Paris Saint Germain in a thrilling encounter at the Parc des Princes. "It was a fantastic game from both teams," insisted manager Hansi Flick. "We made a few too many mistakes in possession. We have to analyse the game, but I also saw a lot great things. It was a great test for us today. We've seen what things we need to do better, and that's what we'll do. "What we've done over the last few weeks has been incredible. The attitude, the quality. We tried to play how we want to play, we pressed them very high. There were a lot of fantastic things on show today." Flick's focus now shifts to Real Madrid and their astute coach, Mourinho, who is expected to embrace the role of antagonist for the Barcelona faithful. "I have a lot of respect for him," commented the German manager. "When you’ve managed for so many years and had so much success, it’s a testament to his talent. "When I was [Joachim] Low’s assistant, I met with him in Madrid. Every player who played under him speaks of him with great respect. He’s a colleague, and a very successful one at that. "They have players with great quality in the final third," Flick added when discussing the threats posed by Mourinho's side. "They’ve shown that in recent matches. We have to be careful and prepared. "For us, the important thing is our positioning, with and without the ball. We need to maintain good distance between the lines and be compact. "This is important when playing with a high defensive line. [defenders Pau] Cubarsi and Gerard [Martin] are having a great season and they complement each other well; they are growing together." While Barcelona's formidable attacking talent, including Lamine Yamal (eight goals and six assists), La Liga's top scorer Raphinha (12 goals and three assists), and summer acquisition Anthony Gordon (one goal and four assists), have been garnering significant attention, it is the recent midfield addition, Rodri from Manchester City, who has provided a crucial foundation for these forwards. "We always look at ourselves and the impact he has on Barca," said Flick. "When the opportunity arose to sign him, we were all convinced he would improve. He was a piece to take the next step. "We’ve seen that in the first few matches. I’m very happy he’s here. Alongside Pedri, there’s great quality in midfield. We’re all happy with him."