Jose Mourinho rejected claims that his newly grown beard has fueled Real Madrid's recent success, laughing off the suggestion during a press conference. The Portuguese manager insisted he is not superstitious, despite the timing of his grooming change coinciding with the team's winning streak. Madrid face Barcelona at Camp Nou this weekend following an impressive October.
Real Madrid's turnaround has been dramatic. On September 20, they lost 2-1 to Atletico Madrid in the capital derby and sat fourth, six points behind Barcelona. Since then, they have won four consecutive matches across La Liga and the Champions League, transforming their domestic campaign.
The winning run includes a 1-0 victory over Villarreal, a 4-3 Champions League comeback against Roma with late goals from Endrick and Antonio Rudiger, a 4-1 La Liga rout of Sevilla with Kylian Mbappe scoring twice, and a 4-1 demolition of RB Leipzig. The squad's confidence has been restored heading into the Barcelona clash.
