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Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho admitted his team does not know how to control matches ahead of Sunday\u2019s La Liga derby clash against Atletico Madrid.<\/strong><\/p>\n Before the first major test of Mourinho\u2019s second spell at the helm, Los Blancos have shown attacking dynamism the coach called \u201cfrenetic\u201d, but the Portuguese veteran acknowledged his team cannot shut the door on opponents.<\/p>\n Madrid trail unbeaten champions Barcelona at the top of the table by three points, after losing one of their six opening games and winning the other five, with Atletico third.<\/p>\n However they needed late strikes by back-up striker Carlos Espi to secure wins at Espanyol and Elche to cling to Barcelona\u2019s tail.<\/p>\n \u201cThe problem seems obvious to me. It\u2019s harder to know why, but it\u2019s easy to understand that there are matches that seem over and, in the end, aren\u2019t,\u201d said Mourinho.<\/p>\n \u201c(There are) matches where we have three, four, five chances to finish them and don\u2019t.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter failing to do so, it feels like we go from ease, because it seemed easy, to losing control.\u201d<\/p>\n Wily Atletico coach Diego Simeone will aim to punish Madrid if they take their eye off the ball in the derby.<\/p>\n Mourinho said his team\u2019s defensive issues were of concern for that game and beyond.<\/p>\n \u201cNot just for Sunday\u2019s match, but for every match. I like my team to score goals\u2026 but I also like controlling matches,\u201d explained Mourinho.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t like gifting control. It\u2019s not about the goals, it\u2019s about giving away control of the match.\u201d<\/p>\n Bernardo Silva is likely to start against Atletico after being rested against Elche on Tuesday, which could help Madrid take a firmer grip on the game, although Mourinho\u2019s squad does not seem ideally equipped to control matches despite a lavish summer spending spree.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re a frenetic side, who gets the ball back and accelerates,\u201d said Mourinho.<\/p>\n Madrid\u2019s team is defined by their star attacking trio of Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham, which effectively ensures they will play at great pace, regardless of the scenario, which can leave them exposed at the back.<\/p>\n Ceuta shirt fallout\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Vinicius Junior is often jeered by Atletico Madrid fans and that could be exacerbated in Sunday\u2019s away trip after the forward, along with team-mates Kylian Mbappe and Ibrahima Konate, did not fully wear a t-shirt supporting the people of Ceuta.<\/p>\n The Madrid trio partially obscured a message on the shirt reading \u201cwe are all Ceutans\u201d, regarding the Spanish territory in north Africa affected by a migration crisis with Morocco.<\/p>\n La Liga president Javier Tebas criticised the three players on Wednesday for not wearing the shirt properly ahead of Madrid\u2019s late win against Elche.<\/p>\n Mbappe said his decision to roll up the shirt was to make a gesture in support of immigrants who had lost their lives while trying to cross the border, but also supported Ceutans.<\/p>\n Vinicius has been whistled by his own fans in recent weeks for poor goalscoring form, and he could not find the net again in the narrow victory at Elche.<\/p>\n Mourinho said he is waiting for the Vinicius that \u201ckills\u201d games and led Madrid to two Champions League triumphs to return, and Sunday would be the perfect occasion.<\/p>\n \u201cThe goals will come back, I can\u2019t miss so many (chances),\u201d wrote Vinicius on Instagram after the Elche game, in which he spurned three good opportunities.<\/p>\n The forward has one goal this season, in contrast to Mbappe, who boasts eight across all competitions.<\/p>\n Mourinho hailed the lethal French striker as \u201cnot normal\u201d and the red-hot Mbappe will see the derby clash as another opportunity to pick up votes in his Ballon d\u2019Or campaign, as well as keeping the pressure on Barcelona.<\/p>\n Since Mbappe arrived in Madrid in 2024, the Spanish giants have failed to win a major trophy.<\/p>\n To stop Flick\u2019s free-scoring Barca, who have won La Liga two years running, Madrid cannot afford to drop many points, let alone against Simeone\u2019s side.<\/p>\n The coaches clashed four times during Mourinho\u2019s first spell in charge, three of which he won, but Simeone\u2019s one victory came in the 2013 Copa del Rey final.<\/p>\n If Madrid take the lead at the Metropolitano on Sunday Mourinho will hope his side can heed his warnings not to let Atletico back in.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n