Mourinho's Warning Before Leipzig Clash: 'Winning Three Matches Doesn't Win You the Fourth'

Real Madrid are set to face German club RB Leipzig in the third round of the Champions League. Ahead of the match, Real coach José Mourinho appeared at the press conference in his familiar combative mood. He answered openly on how his first 100 days in charge have gone, how the team is prepared, and whether Vinícius Júnior is indispensable to the side.

The Spanish giants will take on Leipzig at their home ground, the Santiago Bernabéu, on Wednesday night. The match kicks off at 1 a.m. Bangladesh time. Full of confidence after three straight wins, Real now face the challenge of the German side.

Speaking cautiously about Leipzig, Mourinho said: 'Leipzig are the team that beat PSV. They have three points and they want to qualify. We have won three matches in a short space of time and played very well in the last one. As a team we are very complete.'

But he refuses to let that run breed complacency. In Mourinho's words: 'We have to maintain this consistency. Winning three matches doesn't mean we will win the fourth. Tomorrow we have to go out on the pitch and win.'

The Portuguese coach has now completed 100 days in his second spell in charge of Real. Asked about the period, he said: 'I think I came prepared in such a way that I wouldn't face any big shocks. I wanted to start completely from zero. I wanted to communicate with everyone myself.'

He said his expectations have been met. Mourinho said: 'From that side, I won't talk about any big surprises. I got exactly what I expected. I didn't come here targeting 200 days or three years. I came to lay the foundation of a beautiful future, aiming to give my best every day.'

On whether Vinícius Júnior is indispensable, Mourinho's answer was even more direct. He said: 'The club badge is the only indispensable thing. I don't like this idea of an indispensable player. You can't be made indispensable by the captain's armband or by the years spent at the club, nor by how much was spent on you. Only performance on the pitch makes a player indispensable.'

Mourinho's remarks make it clear that a place in Real's eleven will be decided by performance on the pitch, not by reputation. He is putting team discipline ahead of reliance on stars.

A win over Leipzig would extend Real's Champions League winning run to four and move the team further along the road to the knockout stage. Mourinho's side will take the field with that aim in front of the Bernabéu crowd.