The legendary coach was less impressed with the lack of organization after the break. ‘I liked the first half more. It doesn’t surprise me because we have been working more with those players. We had very good control of the game,’ Mourinho explained. ‘In the second half, with Vini and Bernardo, who don’t have many minutes, and with Endrick changing positions, we lost some of our organization. But it’s good.’
Mourinho emphasized that these preseason errors provide vital learning opportunities for his squad in what was his second friendly in charge, following a 2-2 draw with Fiorentina. Looking ahead to upcoming fixtures against Deportivo La Coruna on August 12 and Schalke on August 16, he noted the lack of late game management, adding: ‘You don’t finish the game by giving away a dangerous free kick like we did. You have to know what to do. Those small mistakes that accumulate in these games are good for me.’