Mourinho faces the specter of his worst start with Real Madrid

Real Madrid suffered a major blow after their defeat against city rivals Atlético Madrid in the Madrid derby, a match played at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. The game exposed several technical problems that the team had been masking behind a string of positive results. The loss to Atlético has increased the pressure on Real Madrid's Portuguese manager, José Mourinho, given the team's inconsistent performances, which raise serious questions about their ability to compete for titles this season. Real Madrid are experiencing one of their worst starts to a La Liga season in recent years, having only managed 15 points from their first seven matches, with five wins and two losses. Had it not been for the crucial late goals scored by young Carlos Espí, the team's start would have been even worse, as he played a vital role in securing two difficult victories for Los Blancos. This is Real Madrid's weakest start in the last seven seasons, reflecting the extent of their decline at the beginning of the competition. These figures also bring to mind the start of the 2012-2013 season, when Mourinho was also in charge of Real Madrid, and the team only managed 11 points during the first 7 rounds of the Spanish League.