Toni Kroos praises Mourinho and reveals what changed for Real Madrid against Barcelona

Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos has praised Jose Mourinho for transforming his former side's approach against Barcelona, revealing the tactical adjustments that helped Los Blancos secure a crucial 2-1 El Clasico victory at Camp Nou.

Madrid entered Sunday's encounter having endured a difficult run against their biggest rivals, losing six of the previous seven Clasicos and conceding 22 goals in those meetings.

However, Mourinho's team produced a vastly improved performance to end Barcelona's perfect start to the La Liga season and reduce the gap between the clubs to just three points.

Kylian Mbappe scored twice, with the Frenchman's second goal arriving late in the contest to secure a victory that revived Madrid's position in the title race.

Despite enjoying considerably less possession than Hansi Flick's side, Madrid impressed Kroos with their willingness to play through Barcelona's pressure and disrupt their opponents' attacking combinations.

The former Germany international, who spent a decade at the Santiago Bernabeu before retiring in 2024, believes Mourinho deserves particular credit for changing the dynamic of a fixture that Barcelona had dominated in recent seasons.

Speaking on his Einfach mal Luppen podcast, in comments reported by AS, Kroos highlighted the Portuguese manager's courage, Madrid's collective intensity and a surprising defensive assignment involving Dean Huijsen.

Kroos praises Mourinho's tactical approach after Clasico victory

Reflecting on Madrid's recent struggles against Barcelona, Kroos acknowledged that he had expected another difficult afternoon for his former club.

"Over the past two years, the Clasicos had been going Barca's way," the 36-year-old explained.

"But things have changed, and I have to praise Mourinho's work. They played exceptionally well, and he set them up brilliantly."

The former midfielder was particularly impressed by Madrid's willingness to retain possession and build attacks against Barcelona's aggressive pressing system.

"Playing out from the back against this Barca side deserves real credit because they struggle when they don't have possession," he added.

Kroos believes this determination to challenge Barcelona rather than simply absorb pressure represented a significant departure from Madrid's performances in recent Clasicos.

"Real Madrid and Mourinho were extremely courageous at Camp Nou, and that was a major difference compared with recent Clasicos.

"The forwards stepped up. There were also periods when they defended well, such as when Barca equalised. At that point, any of us would have taken the draw."

Kroos suggested that Madrid had performed particularly well for approximately 65 minutes, combining effective defensive organisation with a greater willingness to compete for possession.

One tactical detail especially caught his attention.

"I was surprised by Huijsen's marking of Fermin," Kroos admitted.

The former Madrid midfielder felt that Huijsen's close attention to the Barcelona playmaker was part of a wider collective approach that prevented Flick's players from finding their usual rhythm.

"Barca players such as Pedri and Raphinha looked uncomfortable and were forced into mistakes they don't usually make," he explained.

"Madrid won almost every duel because they were more intense. They defended as a unit and put in an excellent performance, both defensively and on the ball."

Although Kroos still considers Barcelona the more accomplished team when it comes to controlling matches, he identified their difficulties when their pressing fails as an important weakness.

"Barcelona are the better team in terms of football because they dominate games more than Madrid, but they struggle when their press doesn't work and they have to defend," he said.

According to Kroos, Mourinho's players succeeded in creating precisely those uncomfortable situations, subjecting Barcelona to a level of pressure they rarely encounter.

Kroos makes Vinicius Junior admission and highlights Mbappe partnership

Kroos also discussed the absence of Vinicius Junior, who missed the encounter through suspension.

The Brazilian winger's pace and direct running could have presented Barcelona with additional difficulties, particularly against Joao Cancelo.

"I would have liked to see him against Cancelo, who leaves a lot of space behind him and could have been punished," Kroos explained.

However, the former midfielder insisted that Vinicius would also have needed to match the defensive commitment shown by his teammates.

"Vini has to defend like Diomande and Bellingham did," he added, referring to the contributions of Yan Diomande and Jude Bellingham.

Those remarks underline another aspect of Mourinho's successful approach: Madrid's attacking players were expected to contribute without possession, helping the team maintain its structure against Barcelona.

Kroos was equally enthusiastic about Mbappe, whose double proved decisive despite the absence of Vinicius.

He described the two forwards as particularly valuable options for midfielders because of their exceptional acceleration and ability to attack space behind defenders.

"Mbappe or Vinicius are a gift for midfielders. They're worth their weight in gold because they're three steps faster than defenders," he said.

Kroos also singled out the understanding between Mbappe and Arda Guler, whose creativity has become increasingly important to Madrid's attacking play.

"Arda has a great connection with Mbappe," he observed.

Madrid's victory ended Barcelona's nine-match winning start to La Liga and brought Mourinho's side back within three points of the leaders.

It also interrupted a sequence of disappointing Clasico performances that had raised questions about Madrid's ability to compete with Flick's team.

For Kroos, the most encouraging development was not simply the result, but the manner in which Mourinho's players secured it.

Madrid must now demonstrate that their improved organisation and intensity can be maintained beyond a single high-profile victory, beginning with Sunday's league trip to Racing Santander.