The Portuguese boss is giving a run of games to a player who was criticised last season, and Real Madrid are gaining defensive security.

In his first Clasico since returning to Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho put together a crucial strategy to stop Barcelona. Besides the tactical adjustments to counter their rivals’ dominance of the ball, Real Madrid have also been benefiting from the bright spell enjoyed by Dean Huijsen, who appears to have regained his confidence under the Portuguese boss.

Signed from Bournemouth in May 2025 for £50., the Spanish centre-back began his time at the Santiago Bernabeu on a high. However, Huijsen was criticised last season for inconsistent performances in big games, particularly the matches against Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano, including his sending-off in the September Madrid derby.

The drop in form at Real Madrid cost him a place in Spain’s World Cup squad, adding to the doubts among the press and supporters. Mourinho, however, has played a key role in the recovery of the number four, who has shown greater solidity and defensive aggression, as well as quality in playing out from the back.

Huijsen makes the difference against Barcelona

Against Barcelona, Dean Huijsen made the difference in the duels, made the right decisions to win back possession and showed concentration and calm to beat the high press and find vertical passes. The impact of the 21-year-old can be measured through the statistics, which underline his strength in the Special One’s back line.

Huijsen in Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, according to SofaScore

10 clearances
16 defensive actions
4 blocks
37/45 passes completed (83%)
7 line-breaking passes

Huijsen’s consistency boosts battle for a starting place at Real Madrid

The Spanish gem has been given a run of games under Jose Mourinho, to the point that he has been used in 10 of 13 matches in 2026-27.

He served a suspension against Villarreal and was on the bench against Rayo Vallecano and Roma. With the physical problems of Eder Militao, Raul Asencio and Antonio Rudiger, Dean Huijsen is forming the starting centre-back pairing with Ibrahima Konate.

The return to consistent form favours the number four in the race for a place in the starting XI. The Real Madrid boss himself said at a recent press conference that, before proving his ability to build with the ball, Huijsen needed to ‘defend’ better. Since then, he has looked more at ease in a system that demands intensity, and he is ahead of the Brazilian in the pecking order.

Mourinho has been cautious over the return of Militao after a serious left thigh muscle injury suffered in April, which ruled him out of Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad. Although he has said the number three is ‘even better’ than he had imagined, the defender’s injury record in recent seasons has limited him to just one game so far, with 10 minutes as a substitute.

Eder Militao is in the final stretch of his recovery to regain match rhythm, but the good form of the Spanish centre-back alongside the French former Liverpool man could be an obstacle to his fresh start at Real Madrid.