José Mourinho’s first spell at Real Madrid was defined by one rivalry above all others: El Clásico. Between 2010 and 2013, he faced Barcelona 17 times in LaLiga, the Copa del Rey, the Spanish Super Cup and the Champions League, recording five wins, six draws and six defeats.

The numbers were balanced overall, but they began brutally. Mourinho’s first Clásico, on November 29, 2010, ended in a 5–0 defeat at Camp Nou, with David Villa scoring twice in one of the most one-sided modern meetings between the clubs.

By the 2011–12 campaign, however, Madrid had turned the tide. They won LaLiga with a record 100 points, and a 2–1 victory at Camp Nou on April 21, 2012 proved decisive: Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winner and marked it with his famous “calma” celebration as Madrid moved seven points clear with four matches remaining.

Mourinho’s final five Clásicos of that spell were unbeaten, including three wins. His last meeting with Barcelona came on March 2, 2013, when Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos secured a 2–1 home win in LaLiga.

The article’s reference to a “5–0 thrashing at the Bernabéu in 2012” is incorrect: the 5–0 defeat came at Camp Nou in November 2010, not at the Bernabéu in 2012.

Mourinho’s teams did not generally dominate possession against Guardiola’s Barcelona; their success instead came from organisation, transitions and moments of precision. The claim that his sides “often dominated possession and dictated tempo” is not supported by the historical record of those matches.

Now back at Real Madrid, Mourinho faces Barcelona again with the fixture returning to Camp Nou. Ahead of Sunday’s match, he said: “The Clásico is unique, normally the football world stops to watch it,” adding that previous form has little bearing on the encounter.