Real Madrid's strength of mind gives Mourinho confidence for Atletico derby

MADRID, Sept 19 : Jose Mourinho said the mental strength of his Real Madrid team gave him confidence heading into the derby clash at Atletico Madrid on Sunday despite problems with their game.

"In this second spell I've understood that it's getting more and more difficult to hear anything good about Real Madrid. It's not a problem to be conscious of our problems. But we are also conscious of the very good things we have in the team," Mourinho told a press conference on Saturday. 

"Alongside the quality it has, this team has a strength which is very significant, the strength of the group. This gives me confidence."

The city rivals are separated by two points after six LaLiga matches this season.

INCONSISTENT PERFORMANCES

The last Madrid derby that Mourinho took part in as manager was the 2013 Copa del Rey final, an historic victory for Atletico over Real at the Bernabeu.

Both sides will be seeking to set the tone for the early stages of the campaign, aware that last season's 5-2 victory for Atletico at the Metropolitano was a turning point in the trajectory of Xabi Alonso's tenure at Real Madrid.

"A derby always has something extra. Derbies are history, culture, passion from the fans, players, coaches," said Mourinho.

Los Blancos have just one victory in their last seven LaLiga trips to the Metropolitano and, with Barcelona already three points ahead of them, anything other than a win risks that gap widening. The Catalan side face Sevilla later on Saturday.

Mourinho has started his second stint at Real Madrid with six wins from seven games, but inconsistent performances have sown seeds of concern about the evolution of his team.

In spite of Diego Simeone's longevity at Atletico, his side are similarly in the early stages of finding a defined style and shape this season. Over the past three years, 22 new players have been signed by Atletico, giving a sense of continuous flux.

Simeone has been without two of his natural forward options in the early stages of the season due to fitness issues. Alexander Sorloth is yet to feature, and Julian Alvarez has been limited to 145 minutes of action. A late arrival in the transfer window, Canadian striker Jonathan David made his first start on Wednesday.

Alvarez has missed the last two matches due to a muscular problem but will play some part on Sunday.

"He will be with us, we will see whether that's from the start or in the second half," Simeone told a press conference on Saturday.

In terms of his approach to the match, the Argentine manager was keen for his side to limit turnovers of possession, saying Real Madrid carried more threat on the counter-attack in his eyes. Simeone advised his team to play decisively and with cool heads.

"In the end, football is calmness. The talent, they have it. And above all, conviction. When you have conviction in what you're doing, it can go well or badly but you can sleep well at night," said Simeone.