José Mourinho has reached the 500-goal milestone as Real Madrid manager.
He currently ranks fourth in the club's all-time managerial rankings for goals scored, but his goals-per-game average strengthens his case as a coach who is far from defensive-minded. His next challenge will be to bring greater balance to the team.
It was a chaotic night for Real Madrid in Rome. After a disastrous first half, the outcome seemed all but decided in favor of the Italian side. José Mourinho's second-half substitutions and his players' effectiveness from set pieces proved crucial in securing a 4-3 victory. The result puts the team managed by the Special One among the leaders of the Champions League.
It was also the match in which Mourinho reached the 500-goal milestone as Real Madrid manager. The Portuguese coach has reached that total in just 188 games in charge. With an average of 2.66 goals per game, he has the best record in this category in the club's history among managers who have overseen at least 50 official matches. These numbers hardly support the notion that the Special One is a defensive-minded coach.
Mourinho's Real Madrid scored 345 goals in 122 LaLiga matches. Following the performance in Rome, his teams have now scored 92 official goals in 38 Champions League games. The total is completed by 55 goals in 24 Copa del Rey games and eight goals in four Spanish Super Cup matches. Only three managers remain ahead of the Special One.
Mourinho's first objective will be to surpass the 596 goals scored by Real Madrid under Zinedine Zidane. ZZ was arguably the manager who achieved success with the club in the shortest amount of time. The Frenchman is followed by Carlo Ancelotti, whose squads scored 834 goals. They are the two managers with the most trophies in the modern history of the Spanish capital's club.
Only time will tell what happens, but Mourinho has virtually no chance of matching the leader of this ranking. Miguel Muñoz had the privilege of seeing his Real Madrid players score 1,225 goals during his era. He was the first great manager in the club's history, many decades ago.
Mourinho's milestone certainly does not portray him as a defensive coach. Across those 500 goals, his biggest victory was an 8-0 win over Levante in the 2011 Copa del Rey. Sevilla on Sunday will be the next challenge as Mourinho attempts to close the gap on the 596 goals scored by Zidane's teams.
