Atletico Madrid 2-1 Real Madrid: Jose Mourinho rant for "justice" amid La Liga controversy while Barcelona pull away

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho held up pictures of two tackles to reporters in his post-match press conference after his side's loss to Atletico Madrid.

Los Blancos were beaten 2-1 by their city rivals in the first derby of the La Liga season, but Mourinho was furious after the game.

The head coach was incensed by refereeing decisions, particularly about a tackle from Cristian Romero on Jude Bellingham, as well as a challenge from Lee Kang-in on Federico Valverde.

Mourinho held up pictures of the two tackles to the media in his post-match news conference after Real Madrid's 2-1 La Liga defeat, saying: "We could skip the press conference because the story of the match is right here [holds up images].

"Those were two clear red cards. The difficulties we've faced since the sending-off - 11 against 10 - well, we can imagine what 50 ​minutes of 11 against nine would have been like if justice had been done."

Real Madrid have also since released a statement criticising the performance of referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias, though their statement should not distract from their poor performance.

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What is going wrong at Real Madrid for Jose Mourinho?

Los Blancos find themselves fourth in La Liga with 15 points, and they are already six points behind league-leaders Barcelona after just seven league fixtures.

Real Madrid added a number of players to the club in the summer, but there are concerns about most of their arrivals.

Defenders Ibrahima Konate and Denzel Dumfries were both poor in 2025-26, and they have continued in similar fashion, while both have also struggled to play out from the back.

The failure to use Trent Alexander-Arnold, despite the right-back's incredible passing range, is a damning indictment of the direction of the club.

Left-back Marc Cucurella has never been especially strong defensively, and some of his limitations were exposed by Atletico.

© Imago / Pressinphoto

Jose Mourinho sack latest: Could Real Madrid change manager?

The appointment of Mourinho was always a risk considering the 63-year-old had struggled to find his feet at any club since leaving Chelsea in 2015.

Following his dismissal from the Blues, the Portuguese has failed to win any league title despite coaching Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Roma, Fenerbahce and Benfica.

The season is still in its infancy, but the signs are not positive for Real Madrid, and they may soon face a difficult decision to make if Mourinho cannot correct his side's inconsistencies.