José Mourinho has outlined the tactical instructions he gave Eduardo Camavinga to help Real Madrid exploit gaps behind Barcelona’s defence, explaining why midfield runs can be particularly effective against Hansi Flick’s team.

According to a post shared by Fabrizio Romano on X, Mourinho urged the French midfielder to make forward runs into available spaces, believing that players advancing from deeper positions could create greater problems for Barcelona’s defensive structure than conventional movements from attackers.

“I told Camavinga, go and attack the space,” Mourinho said, describing the specific instruction he gave the midfielder.

The Portuguese coach explained that Barcelona’s defensive organisation makes it challenging for opposition forwards to get behind the backline successfully. He suggested that Flick’s defenders are well drilled in recognising attacking movements and responding to attempts to exploit space behind them.

As a result, teams that depend heavily on their forwards to make runs beyond the defence can struggle to create clear opportunities. Mourinho believes that using midfielders to make those movements introduces a different attacking threat and can make it harder for Barcelona to maintain its defensive shape.

“It's difficult for any attackers to attack space against Barcelona, the only solution is to do it with your midfielders,” he explained.

Mourinho also highlighted the risks associated with conventional forward runs against the Catalan side. He said Barcelona’s defenders are prepared to anticipate such movements, leaving attackers vulnerable to offside decisions. Even when a pass is played into the space behind the defence, goalkeeper Joan García can intervene and prevent the attacking move from producing a scoring opportunity.

“When your attackers do it, Barca's defense is prepared and coached for that, and your attackers end up being offside, or the pass ends up being cut by Joan Garcia,” Mourinho added.

His comments point to the importance of varying attacking patterns when facing a defence that is organised to deal with familiar movements. Instead of relying exclusively on forwards to stretch the opposition, Mourinho advocated using midfielders who can advance from deeper areas and arrive in dangerous positions at the right moment.

He specifically identified Camavinga and Jude Bellingham as players capable of carrying out that tactical responsibility. Their ability to move forward from midfield can provide an additional route through the defensive line and force defenders to respond to threats coming from different positions.

“The solution is to use midfielders like Camavinga and Bellingham to break that line, and it worked,” Mourinho said.

The approach depends on timing, movement and coordination, as midfielders must recognise when space is available and advance without disrupting the team's overall structure. Such runs can also create uncertainty for defenders who are primarily focused on tracking forwards.

Mourinho’s explanation highlights how tactical adjustments can help teams challenge Barcelona’s defensive organisation. By encouraging midfielders to attack spaces that forwards may find difficult to exploit, he sought to create a less predictable attacking threat and improve the chances of breaking through the defensive line.