Mourinho in an awkward position: Flick's formidable machine ignites the crisis at Real Madrid

Barcelona have won seven of seven, most of them at a canter, playing football that marries flair with ruthless efficiency.

Gone are the defensive frailties that plagued Flick's first two seasons at Barca. Relentless pressing, a collective firing on all cylinders and clinical forwards have seen to that, none more so than Raphinha in the "centre-forward" role the German coach dreamed up for him, a switch that has transformed him into a top-class out-and-out striker.

Those 31 goals scored dwarf the seven conceded. Raphinha has bagged 12 of them, shining at a level to rival the great Brazilians in the club's history, from Evaristo and Ronaldinho to Romario and Rivaldo.

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Flick defined the core pillars of his project from day one: a highly attacking style built on intense pressing, a high defensive line and maximum physical effort.

His football is a matter of trading attacks and going toe to toe, where the upper hand goes to the better side. That demands players with great talent, immense physical capabilities and total commitment to the collective goal.

Raphinha embodies these concepts perfectly. No surprise, then, that he took on the captaincy and became a role model for rising stars such as Lamine Yamal, with whom he forms a lethal duo.

Rodri's arrival, by contrast, brought the necessary maturity alongside Pedri, fine-tuning the team's style and balancing the vertical attacking drive with the unbridled energy of players such as Fermín, Gordon and Ademi.

Sporting director Deco struck deals last summer that added quality and stiffened the competition for a starting place. Just ask Koundé and Baldé.

Xavi Espart, the latest addition from the youth academy, broadened the pool of versatile players, much like Eric García and Gerard Martín, who fully understand the philosophy and playing style of La Masia.

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Atletico Madrid's 2-1 win over Real Madrid on Sunday evening has thrown Simeone a lifeline. He had been pleading for time, insisting his team is still a work in progress despite two decades in the game.

For Jose Mourinho, the derby result is a headache. He arrived with the aim of ending Barcelona's two-year stranglehold, and that ambition may explain his outburst in the post-match press conference.

Mourinho tore into referee Ortiz Arias afterwards. The derby served up several flashpoints, chief among them the dismissal of Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen and a penalty awarded to Atletico. Real's players also demanded that Atletico pair Lee Kang-in and Cristian Romero be sent off for two dangerous tackles.

Mourinho said in the press conference: "The match was supposed to become 11 players against 9 players for 50 minutes, but instead it became 11 against 10 against us."

He added: "Mr Trujillo, the VAR referee, who did not call the referee to review the red card situation regarding Kang-in Lee, has a very strange story with Real Madrid, while the poor referee Ortiz, it is clear that he cannot handle the pressure in matches of this kind."

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Just how much damage the Portuguese coach did to his own image with that decision remains to be seen. He withdrew Vinicius Junior and sent on Antonio Rudiger in the fifty-ninth minute, with his side trailing by a single goal in the derby.

The Rojiblancos doubled their lead to 2-0 shortly afterwards. For many fans, the sight dragged back memories of the Brazilian's substitution during last season's Clasico against Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu. That one sparked a fierce internal row, even though Real Madrid had claimed the win and stretched their advantage over Barcelona.

Alonso was sacked a few months later. Chaos took hold in the Merengues dressing room, and president Florentino Perez decided the "Special One" needed to return to restore discipline and order.

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With 31 rounds still to play in La Liga, Mourinho has plenty of time to build a side to match his ambitions and keep the title race alive until the final breath. Atlético Madrid have surged back into form under Cholo, too.

The numbers tell a harder story. Barcelona lead Atlético by five points and Real Madrid by six, a gap that could stir concern and fuel plenty of debate in the capital over the next three weeks.

Mourinho faces a run of fixtures before the Clásico against Barcelona at the Spotify Camp Nou on 25 October. Win those, and he arrives in a position to compete and prove he can take the fight to Barcelona for the title.

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